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THE NEW 
MEDITERRANEAN TRAVELLER 



The New 

Mediterranean Traveller 

A Handbook of Practical Information 



T>^ Ef LORENZ, Ph. D. 



Seventh {Post- War) Edition 



WITH NUMEROUS MAPS AND MANY ILLUSTRATIONS 





New York Chicago 

Fleming H. Revell Company 

London and Edinburgh 



Copyright, 1905, 1922, by 
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 



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New York : 1 58 Fifth Avenue 
Chicago : 1 7 North Wabash Ave, 
London : 2 1 Paternoster Square 
Edinburgh : 75 Pnnces Street 

FEB 19 '23 

©C1A698358 



CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 7 

I. PORTUGAL 13 

I. Madeira . . . . • . • ^5 

II. SPAIN . 29 

1. Cadiz • . . o . . •31 

2. Seville . • . . . . • 37 

3. Granada AND THE Alhambra • . .49 

4. Gibraltar (British) . , . . -57 

III. NORTH AFRICA 69 

1, Tangier . , . » o • . ji 

2, Algiers . . . . » . • 77 

3, Algiers to Tripoli, via Biskra and Tunis . 90 

IV. MALTA . . , o • . . 97 

V. GREECE 109 

I . Athens • • , . « , .111 

VL TURKEY 131 

1. Constantinople . . . . . '133 

2. Smyrna . . . . . . .156 

3. Ephesus . . . . . • .161 

VII. PALESTINE 165 

1. Beyrout . o . . . . .167 

2. Damascus and Baalbek . . . .170 

3. Galilee , . . . • » .178 

4. Samaria • . . • . • .187 

3 



CONTENTS 



VJII. 



IX. 



X. 



5. Jaffa to Jerusalem 






200 


6. Jerusalem . . . . . 






204 


7. Side Trips in JuDiEA 






229 


EGYPT 






243 


I. A Survey of Egypt 






245 


2. Lower Egypt . . . . 






258 


3. Upper Egypt 






288 


ITALY 






299 


I. Naples .... 






• 301 


2. Pompeii, Vesuvius and Capri 






. 3IZ 


3. Rome .... 






. 321 


FRANCE . . . . 






. 347 


I. The Riviera 






• 349 


Index ..... 






• 353 


Pages for Personal Jottings 






. 357 



List of Illustrations 



1. Bella Vista Hotel, Madeira . 

2. The Alhambra 

3. 4, 5. Views of Gibraltar . 

6. A Cafe in Algiers . 

7. A Street in Valetta 

8. View of Modern Athens . 

9. The Parthenon at Athens ; 10. The Acropolis 

and Mars Hill; 11. Portico of the Maidens, 

12. A Street in Constantinople .... 

13. Robert College 

14. Theatre at Ephesus; 15. Old Aqueduct; 

16. The Stadium 

17. The Street called Straight .... 

18. The House of Naaman, Damascus; 19. The 

Wall Where Paul Was Let Down ; 20. The 
Rope Weavers ...... 

21. The Largest Stone Ever Quarried, Baalbek; 
22. End View ; 23. A Camel Train ; 

24. Train Crossing Lebanon Mountains ; 

25. Baalbek Ruins; 26. Temple 

27. Children of Nazareth ; 28. Virgin's Fountain; 

29. Carrying Water ; 30. Cana of Galilee ; 

31. Shukrey Hishmey, Prince of Dragomen, 
32. Tiberius; 33. Mount of Beatitudes; 34. Lake 

Galilee . 

35. Entrance to Jacob's Well; 36. School 

Children, Nablous ; 37. Joseph's" Tomb; 

38. Old Gate at Nablous ; 39. Samaritan 

High Priest ...... 

40. House of Simon the Tanner, Jaffa; 41. View 

from Roof; 42. Crusader's Tower, Ramleh ; 

43. A Ploughman ; 44. Boatmen at Jaffa, 

45. The Mosque of Omar 

46. Probable Site of Calvary .... 

47. Jews* Wailing Place ; 48. Ecce Homo Arch ; 

49. Entrance to Church of Holy Sepulchre ; 

50. Interior; 51. Stone the Angels Rolled 
Away; 52. A Tomb .... 

53. Field of Shepherds; 54. A Bethlehem 
Funeral; 55. David's Well ; 56. Place of 
Christ's Birth 

57. Pool at Hebron ; 58. Mosque of Machpelah ; 
59. Vine Dressers; 60. Pools of Solomon, 



icing Page 


26 


(< it 


54 


(( ti 


64 


a u 


84 


it t( 


104 


ti it 


116 


it (( 


122 


a ({ 


140 


a a 


150 


i( It 


164 


it a 


170 



174 

" 176 

" 180 
" 186 

" 192 



202 
214 
218 



222 

230 
234 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



6i. Church of Lord's Prayer; 62. Mt. of Olives 
from the Southeast ; 63. Bethany ; 64. Tomb 
of Lazarus Facing 

65. The Jordan ; 66. The Hotel at Jericho . <* 

67, 68. Delta Scenes Near Alexandria ; 69. Well 
of the Virgin, Heliopolis ; 70. Pompey's 
Pillar; 7 1. The Desert Hills . . . « 

72. The Cheops Pyramid; 73. Egyptian ''But- 
ter"; 74. The Nileometerat Roda; 75. A 
Camel Drawing Water ; 76. Camel Train 
on Cairo Bridge; 77. A Near View of 
Cheops ....... 

78. Egyptian Money ...... 

79. Luxor; 80. A Railway Station ; 81. Hotel 

Karnak ....... 

?>2. Ruins of Luxor Temple ; 2>7,. Excavating at 
Karnak Temple ...... 

84. Gallery of Humbert I., Naples 

85. Soldiers at Athens; 86. House in Pompeii; 

87. Capri ....... 

88. The Colosseum at Rome ; 89. Interior of St. 
Paul's ; 90. Arch of Titus 



Pa^e 236 
" 240 



260 



276 

284 

290 

296 
306 

318 

328 



List of Maps and Plans 

Europe and the Mediterranean 

Plan of the Alhambra ••...... co 

Map of Gibraltar ...... . . ] c8 

Plan of Algiers ••••....! 78 

Map of Malta ; 6. Plan of Valetta '. .' * ] ] 100 

Plan of Athens ' \ .112 

Plan of Constantinople . . 1-74 

Map of Palestine * * ! 168 

Plan of Jerusalem ....... i [ 206 

Plan of Temple Area .'212 

Map of Egypt \ \ '.246 

Plan of Cairo 264 

Plan of Pompeii ^14 

Plan of Rome •.....•., '322 



INTRODUCTION 

To the Seventh {Post- War) Edition 

ALL, pre-war guide books of Mediterranean lands are 
now practically obsolete. To make a book like *< The 
Mediterranean Traveller '* valuable, large parts of it 
had to be entirely rewritten while two-thirds of the pages, at 
least, have had changes and corrections ; — many of them quite 
extensive. Within the last six months, the author has made a 
complete round of the Mediterranean, including nearly all the 
places described in his book, so that he has had the opportu- 
nity to note, at first hand, the great changes that have taken 
place. 

There is a new Mediterranean, born in the throes of the 
World War, and to use pre-war guide books would simply mean 
acquiring so much misinformation. Even the old landmarks 
have been modified. For instance, the Museum at Cairo has 
been entirely reconstructed and the comprehensive resume of 
rooms with their contents contained in this volume had to be 
entirely recast. Naturally, all the Statistical Information has 
been changed and brought up to date. This seventh edition 
brings nearly all the statistics up to the year 1920, and in some 
cases to the year 1922. The entire BibHography, which is 
given in connection with each country described, has been 
reconstructed. Largely those books that have been issued 
during and since the war have been suggested, although a few 
standard books of earlier date have been included. Political 
and governmental conditions are, of course, entirely changed ; 
and the effort of the author has been to give, in a summarized 
way, a setting of conditions as they are now, bringing them up 
to December, 1922. 

There are also many changes in the development of cities 
which make the description of former conditions entirely in- 
adequate and misleading. For instance : Jerusalem ten or fif- 

7 



8 INTRODUCTION 

teen years ago was stagnant and undeveloped and under the 
Turkish rule seemed to have little promise of betterment. In 
the last five years, since the creation of the British Mandate 
and under the able administration of Sir Herbert Samuel, Jeru- 
salem has been quite transformed and modern conditions of 
life introduced. Hence statements that were quite true a dec- 
ade or more ago, would be entirely inaccurate to-day. 

The financial conditions and monetary values have also 
greatly changed (largely for the worse) and all former state- 
ments of prices and values are necessarily entirely modified. 

The introduction of modern means of conveyance like the 
automobile and new railroads have also changed the method 
of sightseeing by tourists. For instance, the fact that Haifa 
is now largely used as the principal port of Palestine instead of 
Jaffa, largely reconstructs Palestine travel. Railroads now con- 
nect Haifa both with Damascus to the north and with Jeru- 
salem to the south. The new so-called Allenby railroad 
from Jerusalem to Cairo through the Desert of Arabia also 
helps to put a new setting to all questions regarding transporta- 
tion. 

Such great movements as Zionism have now also been taken 
into reckoning. In connection with Palestine large plans for 
industrial and agricultural development are under way — devel- 
opments of extreme importance which a decade ago would have 
been considered merely an iridescent dream. 

There have also been slight additions made in the number 
of places included. For instance, Cordova and Ronda in 
southern Spain, now becoming a part of many itineraries, have 
been given a brief survey. In view of its almost complete de- 
struction by fire in September, 1922, conditions in Smyrna have 
also been greatly changed, although it is almost certain that it 
will regain its former commercial importance, as it is the gate- 
way to the Levant. 

These things are mentioned merely to impress the fact of the 
value of ** The Mediterranean Traveller *' thus revised so as to 
include the latest developments in Mediterrancap lands. At 



INTRODUCTION 9 

no time has there been a single book which has so covered the 
essential facts and details of Mediterranean travel; but its 
former value has been largely emphasized in the present rewrit- 
ten and revised edition. The author cherishes the hope that 
travellers will find this new '^Mediterranean Traveller" a valu- 
able asset in aiding in the illumination of their journeyings 
through Mediterranean lands. 

Dr. Samuel Johnson once wrote, '* The grand object of all 
travel is to see the shores of the Mediterranean.*' So true is 
this statement that it may be questioned whether all the rest of 
the world can muster such a combination of marvellous beauty, 
fascinating romance, unique scenes and sacred associations. 

This volume is especially prepared for persons who visit only 
the important seacoast cities (except the inland places of 
such countries as the Holy Land, Egypt, Italy and Southern 
Spain which are herein described), and who do not include in 
their itinerary the many places in the interior to which the 
ordinary guide books devote much the greater part of their space. 
Heretofore travellers have felt obliged to carry a considerable 
number of such guide books, and have had use for only a limited 
part of their contents. It is a matter of great convenience to 
the traveller to have in the compass of a single compact volume 
the information of just the places he desires to visit, given in a 
clear, condensed and comprehensive form. This volume is 
printed in good clear type and is enriched with an elaborate 
series of maps and plans of important cities. Its information 
has been put in a systematic and serviceable form, with promi- 
nent headings to the various paragraphs so as to give added 
convenience while sight-seeing. Unique features in the way 
of condensed, statistical information and a selected bibliography 
of each country visited, together with blank pages for indi- 
vidual jottings, add to its value and convenience. It is de- 
signed at the same time to make the volume acceptable and 
useful to readers who may not themselves be able to visit the 
Mediterranean, but who are interested in all that relates to 
these most fascinating countries in the world. 



lo INTRODUCTION 

We herewith give a comprehensive survey of Madeira, often 
called *^ The Island Paradise " ; the cities of Spain which are 
regarded especially unique, including Cadiz, often called **The 
Spanish Venice " ; the ancient Moorish capital of Seville, with 
its sumptuous churches, galleries and palaces representing the 
most famous products of human genius ; Granada and the 
Alhambra which reveal the splendours of an Oriental dream- 
land ; Gibraltar, '* unique in position, in picturesqueness and 
in history"; Tangier, the representative city of Morocco al- 
most untouched by European influences ; Algiers, the former 
stronghold of piracy with its terraces of dazzling white en- 
vironed by its emerald hills ; the more prominent cities of 
Northern Africa including Constantine, Biskra, Tunis and 
Tripoli with their strange Oriental scenes ; Malta the beautiful 
fortified island so closely identified with war, historical 
romance and Biblical history; Classic Athens the storehouse 
of the Golden Age of Greek art and architecture ; Constanti- 
nople with its admixture of the Occident and Orient; Smyrna 
and Ephesus, the centres of the history and commerce of Asia 
Minor ; Beyrout, Damascus and Baalbek with their scenes of 
bizarre and novel interest ; the Holy Land with its unrivalled 
attractions for the traveller, the geographer, the poet and the 
Christian disciple ; Egypt the land of marvels and of mystery ; 
Naples and Pompeii with their picturesque setting and priceless 
art treasures ; Rome the great world-centre of history, religion 
and architecture, and the French Riviera often called ^' The 
Garden of Europe." 

While there are books without number on each of these 
various countries, there is no single book except ''The Med- 
iterranean Traveller " which gives a comprehensive survey of 
those conspicuous centres on the Mediterranean which alone 
are visited by nine travellers out of ten. This information is 
arranged in clear concise form, on the one hand avoiding the 
tedious and technical minutiae which makes the average guide 
book a synonym for '' dryness," and yet omitting none of the 
essential details necessary to intelligent appreciation. It aims 



INTRODUCTION n 

to give ''just what the traveller wants to know/' in a pithy 
and easily remembered form. 

The convenience of having blank leaves for individual jot- 
tings and memoranda will be appreciated by the traveller who 
has tried with a guide book in his hand to write in a separate 
note-book. Such personal comments of things seen and things 
to be remembered will also greatly enhance the value of the 
book to its owner. 

The Bibliography is necessarily restricted owing to lack of 
space, but the basis of selection has been utihty rather than 
quantity. The Bibliography of each country will be found at 
the opening of each section and a general Bibliography on the 
Mediterranean is appended to this introduction. 

The author wishes to express his appreciation to those who 
have furnished such valuable materials for the preparation of 
the book. They include Rev. Chas. L. Carhart in connection 
with Athens and Constantinople; Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, 
D.D., Rev. A. W. Halsey, D.D., and Prof. R. L. Stewart, D.D., 
in the portion relating to the Holy Land ; and Dr. Lysander 
Dickerman and Rev. Josiah Strong, D.D., in the sections on 
Egypt. Special thanks are also due to Mr. F. C. Clark, Rev. 
E. S. Wallace, Mr. Percy M. Kendall and Rev. Josiah Strong, 
D.D., for the use of several electrotypes and photographs. 

D. E. L. 



JV^rv York, December, igss. 



BIBLIOGRAPHT ON THE 
MEDITERRANEAN 

"The Mediterranean Traveller/' Post- War 1923 
Edition. D. E. Lorenz, Ph. D., $3.50 net. Fleming H. 
Revell Company. 

"Baedeker's Mediterranean/' Scribner, 191 1. 

'' Along Mediterranean Shores/' M. F. Willard. 
Silver, 1914. 

'' England in the Mediterranean/' J. S. Corbett. 
Longmans, 191 7. 

'' Mediterranean Winter Resorts," Reynolds-Ball, 
7th Ed. Button. 

'' Mediterranean Idylls," M. Hoyt. Badger. 

" The Mediterranean and Its Borderlands," Joel 
Cook. Winston Co., 1910. 

'' Picturesque Europe, Asia and Africa," C. R. 
Stratton. Nat. Pub. Co., 1910. 

" Lands of Summer," T. R. Sullivan. Houghton, 
1908. 

" The Mediterranean Cruise," B. Millard. Putnam, 
1910. 

*' Fantasy of Mediterranean Travel," S. G. Bayne. 
Harper, 1909. 

'' Around the Mediterranean," M. S. C. Ross. 
Grafton Press, 1906. 

'' Holy Land and Mediterranean Countries," J. F, 
Bartmess. Yonkers, N. Y., 1907. 

'' The Mediterranean," J. T. Bonney. Pott. 

'' Lands Far Off," A. E. Booth. Loizeaux, 1905. 

'' Glimpses of Bible Lands," S. S. Committee. Jeru- 
salem Convention, 1904. 

'' Europe, Holy Land and Egypt," A. Zurbonsen. 
Herder. 

" The Old World in the New Century," Dr. Wm. 
E. Barton, Chicago, 111. 

" Murray's Hand Book to the Mediterranean," Sir 
R. J. Playfair, 2 vols. 

'' A Trip to the Mediterranean," Scribner. 

" The Picturesque Mediterranean," Cassell & Co., 
London. 

" A Roundabout Journey," Charles Dudley Warner. 

" In the Levant," Charles Dudley Warner. 

12 



MADEIRA 

Statistical Information about Portugal 

Portugal has been an independent state since the 
I2TH Century. Until 1910 a monarchy. Last king, 
Manoel II. Republic proclaimed October 5th, 1910. 
First President, Dr. Manoel de Arriaga. The Presi- 
dent IS ELECTED BY BOTH CHAMBERS, FOR FOUR YEARS, 
AND CANNOT BE RE-ELECTED. 

Two Chambers: The National Council, 164 
Deputies, elected by direct suffrage every three 
years; and the Upper Chamber, 71 members, elected 
BY Municipal Councils. The President appoints 
Ministers responsible to Parliament. 

Area of Portugal and dependencies is 35,490 
square miles. Population (1911), 5,957,985. Popu- 
lation OF Lisbon (1920), 489,667; Oporto, 203,981; 
FuNCHAL, 24,687. 

Revenue (1921), £26,913,445. Expenditures, 
£52,802,831. 

Standing army (1921), 35,000, with larger reserve 
ARMY. Navy negligible. Largest ship, 4,253 tons. 
Personnel about 6,000. 

Of the land, 57% is productive. Products are 

WHEAT, MAIZE, RYE, OATS, BARLEY, OLIVE OIL, WINE, FIGS, 
POTATOES AND FRUITS. ThE PRINCIPAL EXPORTS ARE 
CHEMICALS, CORK, HIDES, WOOL, OLIVE OIL AND SARDINES. 

In I916, 7,284 VESSELS ENTERED PORTS. RAILWAY 
MILEAGE (1921), 2,128 MILES. 733 BELONG TO THE StATE. 

In I919, 7,007 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, 32 SECONDARY 

schools and 3 universities. larger proportion of 
the people is illiterate. 

Roman Catholic is the predominant religion ; but 

THERE IS FREEDOM OF WORSHIP. AlL StATE PAYMENTS 

FOR Church maintenance have ceased. 

There are 193 comarcas or low^est courts. Two 
Courts of Appeal and a Supreme Court in Lisbon. 

The Bank of Portugal is a Government institu- 
tion. Practically all gold and silver have disap- 
peared. Notes of 5, 10 and 50 centavos have been is- 
sued. One hundred centavos make the gold stand- 
ard ESCUDO ABOUT EQUAL TO THE AMERICAN DOLLAR. 

13 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

'' Flowers and Gardens of Madeira," F. A» DuCane. 
Macmillan, 1909. 

'' Leaves from a Madeira Garden/' Thomas Stan- 
ford. Lane, 1909. 

" Story of Madeira," D. Dunmitt. Meth. Book Con. 

'' A Madeira Party," S. W. Mitchell Century, 1908. 

*' Land of the Wine," A. J. D. Biddle. Jacobs, 1900. 

'' Holiday Wanderings in Madeira," A. E. W. 
Marsh, London, 1892. 

'' Madeira, Its Scenery, Etc.," Ellen M. Taylor, Lon- 
don, 1882. 

*' Sketches and Adventures in Madeira," C. W. 
March, New York, 1886. 

'' Madeira and the Canary Islands," A. S. Brown, 
London, 1898. 

" A Winter in Madeira," Hon. J. A. Dix, New York, 
1853. 

'' A Sketch of Madeira," E. V. Harcourt, London, 

1857. 

*' Portugal of the Portuguese," A. F. G. Bell. 
Scribner, 1916. 

'' Spain and Portugal," K. Baedeker. Scribner, 

1913- 

" Winter Holidays in Portugal," B. G. Baker. Pott, 
1912. 

'' In Portugal," A. F. G. Bell. Lane, 1912. 

'' Portugal Young and Old," G. Young, Oxford, 
1917. 

'' Spain and Portugal," G. M. Adams. Collier, 1914. 

'' Tourist's Spain and Portugal," R. K. Wood. 
Dodd, 1913. 

ENCYCLOPEDIAS 

The best article is in the Britannica, the next best In 
the American. Lesser ones in Chambers, the Interna- 
tional, Harper's Book of Facts, Harper's Biblical, Theo- 
logical and Ecclesiastical Cyclopaedia, etc. 

Consult these Encyclopaedias on other Mediterranean 
points. 

14 



MADEIRA 

« The verdattt mountain isle towers in a gliste^iing haze like 
so77ie reabn of enchantment,^'* 

AS Madeira is a most beautiful and charming place, and 
requires only a small detour before landing at Cadiz 
or Gibraltar, it is usually included in the Mediterra- 
nean itinerary. 

DESCRIPTION 

There are five islands, containing 314 square miles, the chief 
of which is Madeira, thirty-seven miles long, fourteen broad, 
with a population of 150,528 in 1900. 

Porto Santo, so called because it was discovered on All 
Saints' Day, is quite small, with a population of about 3,000, 
including convicts in the penal settlement. This island was 
first discovered by Zargo, and he and his followers lived there 
for a year. The dark shadowy mass in the west was believed 
to be the mouth of hell, and no one seemed willing to solve the 
mystery. But Zargo, leaving Porto Santo, undauntedly steered 
straight for the gloomy shadow, which he soon found resolved 
into the principal island of Madeira. The other three island? 
are called Desertas, and are mere rocky wastes. 

Madeira is a most beautiful island all too little known, truly 
*'a neglected paradise.^' It is of volcanic origin, although 
now without volcanic activity, and never having been con- 
nected with the mainland, its fauna and flora are unique. 

The name signifies ^* wood " from the luxurious forests which 
the first settlers beheld. Much of the timber was destroyed in 
a great seven years' fire, especially on the southern side in 
which Funchal is situated. 

IS 



i6 MADEIRA 

It is said that the great conflagration originated in fires 
started by Zargo, its discoverer, who desired to prepare the 
island for cultivation. 

Nevertheless, the island is one of the most picturesque spots 
on the globe, its interior scenery, with its precipitous moun- 
tains and mighty ravines, being scarcely exceeded by that of 
the Alps. The highest point on the island is Pico Ruivo, 
6, 1 GO feet high, and there are a score of mountains between 
five and six thousand feet with snow-capped summits. 

There is no more beautiful Panorama imaginable than to be- 
gin at the north of the island, as is the usual program of the 
Mediterranean cruises, and sail thirty miles and more along the 
coast. The magnificent precipices overlooking the sea, nearly 
2,000 feet in height, stand out like grim monitors, and every 
few miles little waterfalls, 500 to 1,000 feet in height, can be 
traced along the great ragged sea walls. The brilliant verdure 
gives a rare colouring, not unlike that of the Grand Canon of 
the Yellowstone, to the precipitous cliffs and ravines, and the 
scenery is wild and grand in the extreme. Coasting the shores, 
the rugged mountains in the distance rise like massive castle 
towers, the grandeur of outline, in some places, being so re- 
markable as to be actually fantastic. Everywhere may be 
seen vineyards and meadow-lands, lovely gardens and pictur- 
esque streams. On shore the lavish profusion of flowers is 
simply indescribable, especially in contrast to the bleak wintry 
landscape just left behind in the United States. 

Captain Marryat says, ^^I do not know a spot on the globe 
which so astonishes and delights on first arrival, as the island 
of Madeira." 

Its main city, Funchal, with 24,687 inhabitants (1921), is 
beautifully set in a background of lofty hills. The approach 
to the city with its Bay of Naples in miniature, its precipitous 
coasts and its lofty jagged mountains is one of the most beauti- 
ful spectacles in the world. The great fortified Loo Rock 
faces the city and controls the military situation. A new 
pier has recently been built, so that the small native boats. 



MADEIRA 17 

which land passengers, need no longer pass through the 
drenching breakers* 

HISTORY 

Madeira seems to have been known to the Romans, Pliny- 
referring to the group as the Purple Islands because of a 
vegetable dye secured there. Tradition has it that in 1344 
an eloping couple from England, Robert Machim and Anna 
d'Arfet, were stranded here, but both soon perished. 

It is said that Zargo, in roaming the island, found an old- 
fashioned covered cross erected by Machim' s companions, on 
which was the inscription of their names, with the request that 
a chapel might be built over their graves. This pious wish 
was duly fulfilled and the chapel which was built remained un- 
til early in the last century, when it was rebuilt and may be 
seen in the village which still bears the name of Machico. 

In 141 8, when rediscovered, the island was without inhab- 
itants, and was taken possession of by Portugal in 1420 and 
immediately colonized. The name of Zargo is illustrious in its 
early history, and in 1425 he was knighted by the King, who 
commanded three young nobles to go to Madeira and marry 
his three daughters. Some leading families in Funchal are direct 
descendents. He is buried at the Convent Church of Santa Clara. 

Columbus is identified with the early history of Madeira, 
for, seeing Menina Perestrello at a school in Portugal, he fol- 
lowed her to her island home and married her in 1473. ^^ 
first Hved in Porto Santo, but later went to Funchal. His 
father-in-law was a mariner, and Columbus got his first taste 
for a sea-faring life by studying his charts and going with him 
on trading expeditions. It is related that in i486, a wrecked 
Biscayan vessel drifted into Funchal, and its famished surviv- 
ors were cared for by Columbus, but they were so enfeebled 
that they soon died. The pilot bequeathed to Columbus his 
charts and papers, and from these he obtained his first ideas of 
the existence of unknown lands beyond the Western ocean. 

While the house in the Rua Dereita, in which Columbus 



i8 MADEIRA 

lived, has been torn away, there is a tablet which bears his 
name on a new house on the same site near the Cathedral. 

In 1556, Marshal de Montluc, the bitter enemy of the 
Huguenots in France, was driven by a storm into the bay 
near Funchal. Landing, he and his unprincipled followers 
pillaged, burned and murdered, the head-priest and nine of his 
brotherhood being included among the victims. Montluc 
himself, however, was shot, and died within two weeks from 
blood-poisoning in connection with his wound. 

The gallant English explorer, Captain Cook, in 1768 visited 
the island, and while his ship was in the harbour, the English 
flag was openly insulted. He immediately opened fire upon 
the city and especially against Loo Rock. The Madeirans 
were the principal sufferers in this brief engagement, and they 
were glad to make humble submission. In a subsequent 
visit in 1772, he received every evidence of distinguished 
honour. 

In 1801 and again in 1807, under Beresford, Madeira was 
taken possession of by the British to prevent French occupancy, 
and for a short time the Union Jack waved over the island. 

There is still a strong prejudice against England. In 1889, 
at the close of the Anglo-Portuguese troubles, there was a fierce 
uprising against the English, of whom there are over seven 
hundred in Funchal, but the native boatmen and carriers took 
sides with them and scattered the furious mob. America, on 
the other hand, is very much in public favour, and the people 
are hoping that the United States will annex their islands, 
which they imagine we are quite as anxious to do. 

The defeated Napoleon was brought here in 1815 before be- 
ing conveyed to St. Helena. 

The ocean Cable connecting with Lisbon was laid in 1874, 
and the event was celebrated with brilliant festivities. Madeira 
is also a connecting link of a submarine telegraph from Lisbon 
to Brazil. 

Many nations have Consuls in Madeira, including the United 
States. A visit to the Consulate and the beautiful garden in 



MADEIRA 19 

which it is embowered will prove a charming feature of Ma- 
deira experience. 

POLITICAL 

Madeira is a province of Portugal and is entitled to send 
deputies to the Cortes at Lisbon. The administration is in the 
hands of a civil governor (appointed by the crown), a military 
officer and his troops, and four chief judges. Minor cases are 
tried by magistrates selected by the people. (See Britannica.) 
The natives do not love their mother country, and the signs of 
misgovernment are not hard to read. Taxation is the only 
function effectively performed, there being a tax even on Indian 
corn, the staple food of the people. 

In 1823, a report came to Portugal of the uprising of the 
people of Madeira against the mother country. A large fleet 
was hastily dispatched, but the troops were greatly astonished 
to receive a distinguished welcome rather than a hostile recep- 
tion. The leaders of the Portuguese forces, being still filled with 
suspicion, imprisoned many innocent people, and a revolt in 
earnest was only avoided because of the passive and uncom- 
plaining character of the people. 

At one period slaves were brought from Africa, there being 
2,700 as early as the year 1552. Captain Cook, in one of his 
visits, speaks of the large number of blacks which he saw 
on the island. But in 1775 slavery was wholly aboh shed in 
Madeira. The negroes have since intermarried with the 
lowest classes of the natives, which accounts for the dark 
complexion and other race peculiarities. There is also sup- 
posed to be some Moorish intermixture of race, from pirates 
who were driven out of the Mediterranean and who settled in 
Madeira. 

CLIMATE 
One of the charms of Madeira is its beautiful and equable 
climate. This is evident from its temperatures, the average 
summer heat being seventy-four (F.), and the average winter 



20 MADEIRA 

sixty-four, frost being absolutely unknown except in the higher 
altitudes. The temperature is rarely below fifty-two or above 
eighty-eight. Tourists will find in February the same con- 
ditions in climate that prevail with us in May or June. Owing 
to these ideal conditions, Madeira is a favourite resort for 
invalids, especially consumptives. There is little disease of 
any kind, and pulmonary troubles, except in extreme cases, 
soon disappear. 

LOCOMOTION 

Macadamized roads are largely along the ocean front, where 
wealthy Englishmen and Portuguese officials use their carriages 
and autos. Motor cabs, charging according to well defined 
zones, may be had, and a ride to the quaint fishing village of 
Camara de Labes six miles distant, as well as through the 
western suburbs of Funchal, among the fine residences and 
gardens, is recommended. The usual mode of travel is by the 
bullock sledges or *'caros,'' costing upwards of 500 reis (fifty 
cents) an hour. This usually holds four people and goes along 
at the rate of two or three miles an hour. One of the team- 
sters keeps the oxen moving with a sharp-pointed stick, while 
another at intervals places a heavy oiled clothi under the run- 
ners, so as to facilitate progress and keep the stones slippery 
and smooth. 

The continued stentorian shouting of the scores of drivers 
passing through the streets adds not a little to the novel effect, 
and this is especially marked when two ** caros " meet each 
other in a narrow street where there is scarcely room to pass. 
The most satisfactory way of travel is by the ** rede *' or ham- 
mock, carried by two men, who can be had for 400 reis (forty 
cents) an hour. The carriers are characteristic natives, strong, 
willing, and full of laughter and song. 

No one should fail to take the Inclined Railway through 
lovely gardens and terraces to the Church of Our Lady of the 
Mount (Nossa Senhora do Monte), 1,962 feet above the sea. 
The sailors believe Our Lady to be their patron saint and pro- 



^^^.^ ji f i^^^MAmji 



MADEIRA 21 

tector. To the east of the church is the Pilgrim's Ravine 
(Curral dos Romeiros), giving a limited conception of the wild 
beauty of the Madeira gorges in the interior. 

Still higher up is the Terminus of the Mount Rack Railway, 
the Terreiro da Lucta, commanding the finest panorama of the 
Island. 

We especially advise that every one take the descent on one 
of the toboggans down the mountain side, — quite a thrilling 
experience. 

THE PEOPLE 

The people are in a state of ignorance and superstition. 
While the higher classes have some educational privileges, they 
are of a meagre kind. Mr. Biddle speaks of the son of a 
wealthy merchant asking him in 1881 whether our civil war 
had closed. Another supposedly intelligent person expressed 
regret at just hearing the news of the death of the popular 
President George Washington ! There is one advanced school 
with eight professors and about 250 students. In recent years 
primary schools have been established, but only about one- 
eighth of the children are enrolled. 

The people are remarkably industrious, especially in view 
of the rather enervating climate. It takes enormous labour to 
terrace, irrigate and cultivate the steep mountainsides, and a 
common sight is the rows of little donkeys carrying the rich 
loam from the gulleys, and even from the bottom of the sea, up 
to the heights, in order to increase the fertility of the terraces. 
The people are buoyant and light-hearted, with rather a low 
standard of morals, but rarely guilty of great crimes. They 
are especially fond of fireworks, and at the annual fete of their 
patron saint called the ^^novena," because it lasts nine days, 
the supply of rockets seems without stint. 

All the F^TE DAYS are observed with great gusto, especially 
Christmas, New Year's Day and feast days, when fireworks 
and cannon make the welkin ring. The first of May or 
"May Day," is observed by processions, balls, and other 



22 MADEIRA 

forms of merrymaking. The *^Madeiran Dance** is made up 
of picturesquely dressed young women, who go through a weird 
spectacular performance which reminds one of the Indian war 
dance. 

The annual celebration is observed in the country churches, 
bringing out all the natives for the gala day festivity. The 
penitents may be seen ascending the stone steps of the church, 
in reverent and humble manner, but after they have been 
granted absolution they express their enthusiasm by the ex- 
plosion of fireworks and vigorous playing on their machetes. 
In certain religious processions through the streets of Funchal, 
the statues of saints are borne on the shoulders of uniformed 
carriers, and are followed by a full military and civic retinue. 
One of these saints thus celebrated is Santo Antonio de Noto, 
whose image is black, the ceremony being probably preserved 
from the time when there was a large negro population. On 
such parade days the houses are decorated by transparencies 
and floral display. 

The favourite instrument of music is the machete, resembling 
a small guitar with four strings, the upper two being tuned to 
thirds, and the lower two to fourths. The gutfara, which has 
twelve silver and brass wires, is used to accompany the machete 
and violin. An orchestra made up of these instruments makes 
rather a striking and agreeable effect, especially when played 
out of doors by night. The native melodies have somewhat of 
the soft dreamy character of the flower-scented and languor- 
producing air. 

In spite of the fertility of the island. Famines frequently 
arise, when the prices of food rise far above the normal. In 
1847 an almshouse was opened which receives about twenty- 
two applicants each year. This does not, however, relieve the 
condition of beggary, which is evident on every side. The 
mendicants are extremely numerous and persistent, but perhaps 
no more so than in other countries in southern Europe and the 
Orient. 

The Poverty of the people as a whole is pitiful, owing in part 



MADEIRA 23 

to the overpopulation, and in part to the lack of capital 
and of progressive spirit. Wages are still on a low basis, 
paid as a rule in produce. The most primitive methods of 
agriculture are still in vogue. A former resident, Baron Con- 
ceicas, was a great benefactor to the impoverished islanders, 
and his widow (formerly Miss Langstroth, of Germantown, 
Pa.), is held in high esteem. The people, in spite of their 
hardships, seem cheerful and contented. 

Although largely of Portuguese descent, they are more kindly 
and amicable than the average Portuguese, and are proverbially 
hospitable and polite. What they lack in intelligence is due 
to want of opportunity rather than absence of intellectual qual- 
ities. Under a more progressive government and with good 
educational and religious advantages, the Madeirans would 
make notable advancement. They have a strong commercial 
instinct, and embroideries, basket work, fruits and flowers are 
displayed in great abundance, and visitors are vociferously im- 
portuned to buy. 

The Homes of the people (outside of the city) are mere rude 
hovels, with neither floors nor windows. Cleanliness seems an 
unknown art. Conditions are wofully circumscribed. Many 
have literally never been out of sight of their homes, and 
though the island is so small, there are many shades of 
** patois," the speech of hamlets a mile apart having their dis- 
tinguishing features. 

Marriage is a popular institution, and families are unusually 
large. The laws of inheritance are very simple. There is an 
admirable custom in connection with property interests at mar- 
riage, the man vesting one-half of his property in his wife and 
she vesting one half of hers in him, and neither can dispose of 
property without the consent of the other. There is no law of 
primogeniture, the children sharing equally. Though the na- 
tives possess very little, they are exceedingly attached to the 
little plot of ground, which it is the ambition of every islander 
to possess. 

The Costumes are peculiar and picturesque, and quite primi- 



24 MADEIRA 

dve. Tourists will get very few ideas in Madeira about the 
latest fashions. 

PRODUCTION 

Soon after colonization, vines were imported from Crete, and 
for many years Madeira was renowned for its wines. In 1852, 
a disease called the *' oidium " almost destroyed the vines; 
and although vine culture has somewhat recovered, it has not 
fully regained its former prestige. Sugar-cane has also been 
grown for many years, but it is difficult for the island to com- 
pete with the tropics, owing to its hills and a scarcity of water. 
The spirits distilled from the sugar-cane are now being used to 
excess, and form a growing menace to the welfare of the peo- 
ple. Other exports are fruits, cochineal and fine needlework. 
The people are skilled in pottery, inlaid woodwork and straw 
goods. 

The Gardens are marvellous in their profusion, combining the 
species of two zones — roses (surpassing those of Southern Cali- 
fornia), heliotrope, honeysuckle, fuchsias, etc., being in luxuri- 
ant evidence. Geraniums grow to a height of twenty feet in a 
few months, and there are 2>^2) genera of native wild flowers 
and 717 species. 

Some houses are fairly hidden under purple bouguauivillia, 
which, for floral glory, can scarcely be equalled anywhere in 
nature. 

The rapid growth of vegetation may be judged by the fact 
that the New Garden (Praca da Reinha), when it had only fifteen 
years of growth, had palms measuring five feet across the stump. 

All the tropical fruits abound — oranges, lemons, bananas, 
figs, etc. This is the home of the English walnut, more prop- 
erly called the Madeira walnut. 

Most of the cultivation is dependent upon Irrigation, Moun- 
tain streams are stopped far up near the mountain sources, and 
channels, enclosed with strong walls of masonry, direct the 
water to the cultivated lands below, where it is dealt out at 
stated times to land-owners. Great excitement prevails among 



MADEIRA 25 

the people at the time a water supply is expected. Three of 
these streams, called <* Riveiros/* pass through Funchal and 
the tall massive walls, with the meagre stream of water lined 
with washerwomen, add a striking feature to the scenery. 
During the times of a freshet these high, strong walls are very 
important. In 1803, 500 lives were lost in Funchal during an 
enormous flood. 

The Exports amount to several million dollars, the imports 
being larger. Considerable imports in the way of petroleum, 
wheat, and machinery come from the United States, although 
a much larger business could be done with this country, if 
there were a regular line of merchant steamers. Only capital, 
intelligence and industry are needed to make this a paradise 
of wealth and beauty. 

OBJECTS OF INTEREST 

The southern side of the island has not the abrupt headlands 
and heavy forests seen in the northern side, yet the scenes 
around Funchal are full of rare charm. 

The Diving Men and boys who surround every incoming 
ship furnish a fascinating half-hour to the visitor. 

These swimmers hold themselves poised in their boats, ready 
to dive for any coin which may be thrown into the water. Of 
course they do not descend to the bottom in search of the coin, 
but catch it in the slow descent of the coin through the water. 
While many of the coins are caught, the larger number are 
missed by the eager divers, and as the throwing of coins to the 
divers is a popular pastime with newly-arrived tourists, there 
must be a good treasure trove at the bottom of the deep waters 
of the bay. 

Although sharks are occasionally seen, these divers seem ab- 
solutely fearless, for they are daring swimmers. It is not un- 
usual for them to attack the ground shark, the most dangerous 
man-eating species of sharks, in the water. In the case of 
ships being driven against the rocks, native divers have de- 
scended with large masses of oakum stopping up from the out- 



26 MADEIRA 

side the large cavities in the ship which were rapidly caus- 
ing the ship to founder. They have also been known to dive 
from the top of the middle mast, coming up on the opposite 
side of the vessel. 

Funchal itself, looking from a distance as white and fair 
as a dream, loses little of its virginity on nearer inspection, the 
streets although narrow being quite clean. The crowds of gaily 
kerchiefed women and banditti- looking men, the scantily-clad 
urchins, the occasional clamouring beggars, the houses with 
stuccos of brilliant colours, the crowded shops and fruit markets 
are full of picturesque effects. In the city itself, while archi- 
tecture as a fine art has been largely ignored, nature atones for 
all shortcomings, the marvellous terraced gardens giving a 
striking setting to the quaint houses. 

The New Hotel is a beautiful structure, and the governor's 
palace is an extensive turreted building. Fort Pico, a medie- 
val, battlemented structure, on a hill just above the lower town, 
was formerly occupied by a garrison of Portuguese soldiers, but 
is now only a noble feature of the landscape. 

The Casino Pavao, opened in 1895, skirts the rocky coast, 
and is nestled in the Vigia Garden. It is the Madeira Monte 
Carlo and is usually filled with excited gamblers. To see the 
Vigia Garden by moonlight, and especially when illumined 
by thousands of coloured lamps, as is often done in honour 
of the arrival of a large body of tourists, certainly gives the 
nearest approach possible to fairyland, and is a veritable 
'* Midsummer Night's Dream. '* At such public receptions, 
all the Portuguese official class, as well as English and other 
foreign residents, are to be seen in the most stylish and 
elaborate costumes, and the music, the dancing and the 
beautiful environment are suggestive of some high social 
function in England. 

The Cathedral is a plain old-fashioned structure on the 
plan of a Roman cross with a picturesque tower rising more 
than one hundred feet, ornamented by a clock. The people 
are very devoted and loyal to all religious observances. The 




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MADEIRA 27 

writer was extremely interested in observing the rite of baptism 
as performed by the officiating priest, there being a very elabo- 
rate ritual and frequent touching of ears, eyes, chest and back, 
with sacred salve and at the close water was poured over the 
head of the infant. The priest proved on introduction to be 
extremely genial and polite, and expressed the deepest interest 
in the affairs of the American Republic. 

The new Public Garden, or ^'Praza,*^ is a spot of lux- 
uriant loveliness. The private gardens along the Rua Bella 
Vista are radiant with tropical beauty, and the Portuguese 
and English cemeteries (up to 1765 a Protestant who died in 
Madeira had his body thrown into the sea), are also well worth 
visiting. The walks and climbs in the region about Funchal will 
prove most exhilarating and full of striking scenes and views. 
Of course the greater part of the inland region will be inacces- 
sible to persons who can stay only a day or two. 

The late Emperor Charles of Hungary was banished 
to Madeira, and he and his charming family were very 
popular with the people. He died in March 1922 of pneu- 
monia. 

There is a beautiful new road, the best one on the island, 
between Reid's New Hotel and the village of Camara de 
Lobes, which is well adapted for a carriage or bicycle ride. It 
is lined on either side with plane trees, and margined by pr^ 
white cottages and terraced gardens. 

RELIGION 

The Roman Church has almost a monopoly of religious con- 
trol. Protestantism as yet having gained only a slight foothold, 
owing to a lack of religious toleration. The natives are very 
loyal in their religious observances. The Catholic Bishop of 
Madeira has supervision over forty-nine churches, and has a 
staff of one hundred and ten priests. There are also several 
convents and monasteries. 

At present British capital and influence (the natives real- 
izinjg that without the British business interests they would 



28 MADEIRA 

Starve), are gradually overcoming the former prejudice, and 
Protestantism is gaining slight ground. 

Some years ago permission was gained from Portuguese au- 
thorities to build an English Church, but only on condition 
that it should have no ecclesiastical appearance. Hence it has 
neither steeple nor bells, yet is situated in a charming garden, 
is well attended, and carries on regular services. 

The Free Church of Scotland has more recently built a 
church more ecclesiastical in style, and it is doing an effective 
work. The English Wesleyans have a thriving work, and show 
a very cordial spirit towards strangers, frequently serving after- 
noon teas to them. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

The matter of money, climate, bullock-cart hire, and other 
topics have already received attention in the foregoing pages. 

Purchases. — There are several characteristic souvenirs in the 
way of baskets and chairs of unique designs, as well as inlaid 
and carved woodwork, embroideries, etc. What will give a 
great deal of satisfaction after returning home are the souvenir 
postal cards and photographs, especially the latter. Fine siz- 
able photographs can be had here and throughout the Mediter- 
ranean at reasonable prices, and also attractive coloured photo- 
graphs, which are suitable for framing. What is said here re- 
garding photographs is not only true of Madeira, but of all 
places in the itinerary. 

Trips. — An auto or carriage ride through the accessible 
streets of Funchal and along the seacoast roads is very charm- 
ing. 

Another trip, the climax of Madeira sightseeing, is taking the 
inclined railway to the terminus at Terreiro da Lucta, taking 
lunch at the excellent restaurant and coming down by the 
toboggan (or railway). This gives a view from the vantage 
point of 3,000 feet above sea-level. A round trip ticket in- 
cluding railway fare, a table d'hote lunch and a toboggan ride 
can be purchased. 



SPAIN 



Statistical Information 

Continental Spain has an area of 190,050 square 
MILES. Population (1920), 20,783,844. Largest 
cities: Madrid, 608,793, Barcelona, 582,240, Va- 
lencia, 236,447 and Sevilla, 150,631. Ruler, King 
Alfonso XIII, married to Victoria Eugenia, grand- 
daughter OF the late Queen Victoria. They have 
•six children. Heir apparent. Prince Alfonso, born 
May 10, 1907. The King has annual grant of 
£280,000. 

Spain is a Constitutional Monarchy, with a 
Cortes composed of a Senate of 360 members and a 
Congress of 417 Deputies. 

Revenue (1922), 1,976,663,000 pesetas. Expendi- 
tures^ 2,550,794,000 pesetas. Public debt, 12 billion 
pesetas (about £478,500,000). 

The army has a peace footing (1922) of 189,745 
men. There is a small navy with 11,340 sailors. 

Eighty-eight per cent, of Spain is productive. 
Spain is rich in coal, mercury, copper, iron and lead. 
Exports (1921), total 812,440,000 pesetas. Imports, 
1,261,390,000. Merchant navy (1922), 621 steamers 

OF 912,817 TONS. In I919, 9,436 MILES OF RAILWAY. 

In January, 1922, the contract between the Bank 
OF Spain and the Government ended. At present the 
Government merely participates in the net profits. 

The prevailing religion is Roman Catholic; and 
the State expends 47,000,000 pesetas in Church sup- 
port. There is liberty of worship and there are 
7,000 Protestants and 4,000 Jews. There are 9,827 
monks; 37,849 nuns and a large number of priests; 
66 cathedrals and about 38,000 parish churches and 
CHAPELS. There are 26,000 public primary schools 

AND 5,669 PRIVATE SCHOOLS, WITH A TOTAL OF 2,604,308 
pupils; 58 SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITH 51,815 PUPILS AND 
ELEVEN UNIVERSITIES WITH 24,501 STUDENTS. AbOUT 

60% of the population cannot read or write. 

Justice is administered by one Supreme Court; 15 
Divisional High Courts ; 50 Provincial High Courts ; 
522 Courts of First Instance and 9,345 District 
Courts. 

29 



BIBLIOGRAPHT \ 

" History of Spain/' C. E. Chapman. Macmillan, 'i8. ; 

" Spain/' E. A. Browne. Macmillan, 1921. | 

'' Cities and Seacoast (Spain)/' A. Symonds. Bren- ; 
tano, 1919. \ 

'' Picture of Modern Spain/' J. B. Trend. Hough- | 
ton, 1921. \ 

'' American Travelers in Spain/' Columbia Univ., j 
1921. j 

'' Spain and Portugal/' K. Baedeker, 4th Ed. Scrib- - 
ner, 1913. ; 

'' Royal Spain of To-day/' T. B. Batcheller. Long- i 
mans, 1913. \ 

" Spanish Highways and Byways," K. L. Bates. | 
Macmillan, 1912. | 

'' The Spell of Spain," K. Clark. Page, 1914. 1 

*' Rambles in Spain," J. D. Fitz-Geraid. Crowell. | 

" Idler in Spain/' J. E. Fletch. McBride, 1914. I 

'' Cathedrals of Southern Spain," C. G. Gallichan. 
Pott, 1913. I 

'' Spain Revisited/' C. G. Gallichan, Pott, 1912. \ 

'' Familiar Spanish Travels," W. D. Howells. Har- | 
per's, 1913. I 

'' An Artist in Spain/' A. C. Michael. Doran, 1914. 

''Spanish Sketches," A. B. Peddington. Oxford, '16. 

" Along Spain's River of Romance," E. Slater. Mc- 
Bride, 1912. 

" Tourist's Spain and Portugal," R. K, Wood. 
Dodd, 1913. 

'' In Sunny Spain," K. L. Bates. Button, 1913. 

'' My Spanish Year," Mrs. B. Whushaw. Pott, 1914. 

" Quiet Days in Spain," C. B. Luffman. Button, '10. 

'' Granada and the Alhambra," A. F. Calvert. 
Lane, 1907. 

'' Spain of To-day from Within," M. Andujar. Re- 
vell, 1909. 

'' Travels in Spain," P. S. Marden. Houghton, 1909. 

" Cathedral Cities of Spain," W. W. Collins. Bodd, 
1909. 

*' Granada, Present and Bygone," A. F. Calvert. 
Button, 1908. 

" Southern Spain," A. F. Calvert. Macmillan, 1908, 

'' Gibraltar," H. M. Field. Scribner, 1893. 

30 



I — CADIZ 

" Fair Cadiz y rising- o'er the dark blue sea" 

AS the Mediterranean itinerary often includes the 
Spanish cities of Cadiz, Seville and Granada, as well 
as Gibraltar, it will be desirable to give a survey of 
these fascinating cities. The usual order is to begin with 
Cadiz. 

DESCRIPTION 

Cadiz at one time was one of the principal commercial 
cities of the world. At present, with its limited population 
of 63,101 (in 1920), it is of very minor importance, eleven 
other Spanish cities having a larger population. Neverthe- 
less, the tourist will find it one of the most charming places 
in Spain. It has a situation which cannot be surpassed for 
beauty. Built at the extremity of a long and exceedingly 
narrow peninsula, and giving the impression of a magic city 
rising out of the very sea, it surpasses even Venice itself, 
with which it is often compared, in picturesque effect. It 
seems so unreal in its white, fairy-like garb, that the beholder 
can scarcely persuade himself that it is not a mirage or a city 
of dreams. 

It does not suffer on nearer approach, as do most of the 
Mediterranean ports. The whole city is surrounded with 
massive stone walls from thirty to fifty feet high, and about 
twenty feet broad, which, while scarcely forming a formidable 
barrier to modern artillery, nevertheless defy the encroach- 
ments of the sea, whose tides often rise to a height of ten 
feet. The general effect of these heavy ramparts is increased 
by towers and fortifications, as well as by lighthouses on 
adjacent reefs. 

On landing, the tourist steps upon the Muelle, a broad 

31 



32 SPAIN 

granite quay, aflfording limitless sea-views in every direction 
of the compass. The streets, although narrow, are cleaner 
than those of most Spanish cities, and are lined with bright- 
coloured terraced houses, overhung by peopled balconies. 
Every house of importance has its view-tower, which adds 
to the architectural piquancy. Inside the house, there is a 
wealth of marble in halls, courts and stairs. In fact, the 
abundance of marble, without and within, and the unusual 
partiality of the people to the whitewash brush, causes a 
glare quite trying to the eyes. 



THE PEOPLE 

Scarcely another city in Spain shows the general charac- 
teristics of the Spanish people to such good advantage. The 
unusual cleanliness of the streets, the absence, to an excep- 
tional degree, of persistent beggars, the high average of 
intelligence among the people, and the proverbial attractive- 
ness of the women, — all these, and other considerations, 
give Cadiz a particular charm and interest. The Alameda, 
or Public Garden, is an exceptionally good place for the study 
of Spanish life. 

There are also other elements in the Cadiz population, 
such as sailors from every nation. Moors and negroes, Spanish 
soldiers, and whole regiments of fishermen along the ocean 
walls. 

Smuggling is very common in Cadiz, owing to the exorbi- 
tant customs on all imported articles. Neither the city nor 
the government derives any considerable advantage from these 
taxes, most of the money going to enrich the official class. 
There is abundant evidence that such political corruption is 
the regime in all parts of Spain, and it contributes very 
largely to its decadence. The Spanish people, however, have 
many sound and substantial qualities, and with a proper 
government and general educational advantages, they could 
redeem themselves in the eyes of the world. 



CADIZ 33 

HISTORY 

The city was founded about 1150 b. c. by the Phcenicians, 
who regarded this as the outermost limit of the world. From 
500 B. c. until the Second Punic war it belonged to Carthage, 
but with the fall of Carthage, it became a Roman stronghold. 
Caesar made it one of the most impregnable fortresses in the 
Roman Empire, and gave to it the name of Augusta Urbs. 
Roman writers are eloquent in their praises of its palaces and 
aqueducts, its great commerce, and its fleets of war. On ac- 
count of its famous wines and dancing girls, Martian and 
Juvenal refer to it as the City of Venus. All evidences of 
the rich voluptuous Roman city, which once existed, have 
completely vanished. 

In the fifth century a. d., Cadiz was conquered by the 
Goths, and in the eighth was in the hands of the Arabs. It 
was retaken in 1262 by Don Alfonso the Learned. From the 
time of the discovery of America, it became the chief depot of 
the gold and merchandise coming from America and the Indies. 
Its royal wealth was coveted by the pirates of Algiers and 
Morocco, and it was the scene of many piratical attacks, and 
of several narrow escapes. 

In 1596, it finally fell into the hands of Lord Essex, and he 
brought to England over fifty vessels filled with the treasures 
of Cadiz. While almost ruined by this wholesale plundering, 
it gradually regained its commercial supremacy, and as late as 
1770, Adam Smith commented upon the fact that the merchants 
of London could not compete in wealth with the merchants of 
Cadiz. Even as late as 1792, its imports from America alone 
amounted to 175,000,000 pesetas. 

Its downfall began with the war of 1793, ^^^ French in- 
vasions, Spanish civil wars and intrigues, together with a grow- 
ing lethargy and degeneracy, have completed the work. 

Trade conditions in late years have somewhat improved, 
about 2,300 vessels of all nationalities entering the port an- 
nually. The chief exports are cork, olive oil, lead, wine and 
fruit. The greatest obstacle to rapid commercial growth is 



34 SPAIN 

the ignorance of the Spanish peasantry, which prevents them 
from making proper productions for export. Most of the 
oUve oil and wine produced in the rich valley of the Baetis, 
which might be among the best in the world, is unfit for ex- 
port on account of the slovenly manufacture and pigskin 
storage. Spain is remarkably rich in resources, and if the 
people were trained in modern and progressive methods, it 
might still become one of the richest and most powerful nations 
in Europe. 

PLACES OF INTEREST 

It should be clearly understood that aside from its pictur- 
esque setting, its busy street-scenes and its glimpses of Spanish 
life, there is httle in Cadiz worthy of more than passing interest. 

The Old Cathedral (La Vieja), was built in the thirteenth 
century, but was almost destroyed by Lord Essex, although im- 
mediately rebuilt and thirteen chapels added. The general 
effect is far from impressive. 

The Nev^'' Cathedral (De La Santa Cruz), which was be- 
gun in 1720, is a more pretentious building, with a classical 
exterior and an excessively ornate interior. It is 305 feet long, 
216 feet wide, and its turrets are 207 feet high. Its entire ex- 
pense was over ^1,500,000. Its paintings and decorations have 
little artistic value. 

Los Capuchinos (entrance fee one-half peseta), which was 
formerly a convent, was built in 1641. Its architecture is 
inferior, but it is worthy of a visit on account of its having 
several celebrated paintings. In the church, over the high 
altar, is Murillo's famous Marriage of St, Catherine txtcMitd 
in 1682. It was here that the great painter met his tragic 
death, falling from the scaffold in the midst of his work, and 
expiring soon after. His dying request was that the fresco 
might be finished by Meneses Osorio. There are other sub- 
jects of a less important character, including San Juan Bap- 
tista and St, Michael, which were designed by Murillo and 
finished by Osorio. There is a fine Murillo, St, Francis re- 



CADIZ 35 

ceiving the Stigmata over a lateral altar, which should not be 
overlooked. 

The Academia de Bellas Artes (open nine to three), has 
a few good works by some of the older masters in Room I. 
Those worthy of mention are as follows : 

St, Bruno (17) by Costanzi ; Virgin and Child (95) by 
Cologne School ; the Four Latin Fathers of the Church 
(32) by Jordaens; Driving out the Money -changers (4) 
by J. Bassano; Christ in the house of the Pharisee (2) 
by J. Bassano; Virgin and Child and St. Francis (7) by 
A. Cano. 

Last fudgment (39) (painter unknown) ; Still Life (23) by 
J. D. de Heera ; the Portiuncula^ an altar piece representing 
St. Francis rebuilding a Church (63) ; and Ecce Homo (34) 
by Murillo. 

Zurbaran has an excellent series of saints in this room, 
including St, John the Baptist {6(y) ; St. Lawrence (67) ; St, 
Matthew (80) ; St, Bruno (64) ; Carthusian Monks (68-74) ; 
and SS, John Mark and Luke (77-79). 

The modern pictures in Room II. have little importance, but 
the visitor will be interested in several for their historical con- 
nection with Cadiz. These are : Arrival of Columbus in the 
West Indies, by Ruiz Lana ; Capture of Cadiz by Alonzo the 
Learned (132) byBalaca; Murillo' s Fall from the Scaffold 
(151) by A. Farrant ; and the Victory of Cadiz over Morocco 
Pirates (153). 

GENERAL SIGHTS 

In the city itself, the finest squares are the Plaza de la 
CoNSTiTUCiON and de Mina. Prominent promenades are the 
MuRALLA DEL Mar, the Alameda and the Parque Genoves. 
The Botanical Garden has some rare and valuable trees and 
plants. The Bull Ring is capable of holding 11,000 specta- 
tors. The handsome Casino (cards of introduction are neces- 
sary), has a spectacular novelty of its own. 

The Watchtower (Torre de Vigia), (entrance fee to keeper 



36 SPAIN 

is twenty-five to fifty centimos), is loo feet high, and stands 
near the centre of the city at its highest point. Here a con- 
stant official lookout is kept, and all ships are signalled. It 
gives a wonderful panorama of the entire city, as well as of the 
Bay of Cadiz and of the open sea. 

The Museo Arqueologico (open ten to three, fee fifty 
centimos), contains tools, weapons and other prehistoric ob- 
jects, including a marble sarcophagus dating from the time of 
the Phoenicians, as well as Phoenician, Greek, Roman and 
Moorish coins, terra-cottas and inscriptions. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Hotels. — Hotel de Paris, Hotel de France, Hotel de Cadiz, 
thirty to forty pesetas a day. 

Cabs. — One horse, one or two persons, three pesetas ; three 
or four, four pesetas ; two horses, five pesetas per hour. These 
prices are flexible. 

Money. — One hundred centimos equal to one peseta, equal 
to one franc, equal to twenty cents. Copper pieces of one, 
two, five and ten centimos are in circulation, and should be 
carried for small change. Silver coins of one-half peseta (ten 
cents), and of one, two and five pesetas are current. Nominally, 
a five dollar gold piece is worth about twenty-five pesetas in 
exchange, but on account of the depreciation of Spanish 
silver, the traveller should demand the full current exchange. 
Insist on paying in Spanish silver rather than French francs or 
English shillings. Reject Spanish silver coins with value 
marked in centimos, all foreign unknown coins, and all paper 
money save that issued by the Banco de Espana. Silver coins 
should be tested to avoid counterfeits, and change should 
always be carefully counted. 

Shops. — The best are in the Calle Columela, Calle Duque 
de Tituan and Calle Canovas de Castillo. Cadiz is noted for 
its fans, gloves and guitars. As a largely advanced price is 
asked of foreigners, it is well to do a little discreet bargain- 
ing. Unless the tourist wishes to pay higher prices, it is not 



SEVILLE 2n 

well to go to shops recommended by guides or make bargains 
in their presence. This is true everywhere in Mediterranean 
countries. 

Guides. — There are few guides, even among those who speak 
English with some fluency, who are exact and trustworthy in 
the information they give. The regular price for guides is from 
fifteen pesetas up per day. 

Tips. — These are expected at every turn and may vary from 
ten to fifty centimes, according to the service. Frequently, 
however, expenses of guides, tips, etc., are furnished by the 
tourist management. 

Climate. — While the climate of Cadiz, owing to its exposed 
position, is subject to sudden changes, the weather from Feb- 
ruary to April is usually balmy and delightful, somewhat similar 
to that of Madeira. It will be well, however, to provide oneself 
with a comfortable wrap for an emergency. 

Language. — While Spanish is certainly very useful, French 
is usually spoken in hotels and shops. 

Church Services. — There is an Enghsh Church service at 
the English consul's house every Sunday morning, and a 
Protestant service in Spanish in Calle Teneria. 



II — SEVILLE 

« Fair is proud Seville , let her country boast 
Her strength^ her wealthy her site of ancient days,*"* 

THE ride from Cadiz to Seville, a distance of ninety- 
five miles, takes about five hours by railroad, and is 
through a most fertile and beautiful country. From 
Cadiz to Jerez, the first important stop, the distance is thirty 
miles, passing through the towns of San Fernando, Puerta 
Real and Puerta St. Maria, all located in a rich, wine-grow- 
ng district. Beyond Jerez, which is a city nearly as large as 



38 SPAIN 

Cadiz, having 63,473 people, the railroad passes through 
Lebrija, fifty miles from Cadiz, which has a chapel, dating from 
the ninth century. Seventy-five miles from Cadiz is Utrera, 
with 14,000 inhabitants, once a great stronghold of the Moors, 
its Moorish walls with their thirty-four turrets still standing m- 
tact. Here the country is most fertile, abounding in vineyards 
and olive orchards. Soon the train arrives in Seville, sharing 
with Granada the distinction of being the most fascinating city 
in Spain. 

DESCRIPTION 

Seville makes a very graceful picture, its strikingly charac- 
teristic buildings being surrounded by a very bower of green. 
In the olden days it was the great commercial centre of the 
Moors, at one time 200,000 persons being engaged here in the 
manufacture of silk, and it vied with Cordova and Granada in 
grandeur and beauty. 

It is certainly one of the unique cities of the world, and con- 
tains some of the most famous products of human genius in its 
churches, galleries and palaces. 

Seville is the fourth largest city in Spain, containing 150,631 
inhabitants in 1920, and is very prosperous. It is favourably 
located for development, in view of its navigable river, and its 
broad plain is one of the most fertile in Europe. The lux- 
urious growth of orange trees, palms, acacias, etc., both within 
and without the city, seems to betoken nature's lavish approval. 

Its 477 streets and lanes are narrow and tortuous, and most 
confusing to the traveller. It helps to make the puzzle less 
hopeless to remember that the Plaza de la Incarnacion is a 
sort of natural centre from which many important thoroughfares 
radiate. 

The better-class houses are more elaborate in Seville than 
in almost any other Spanish city. They have charming inner 
courts with marble pavements and fountains, gayly painted ex- 
teriors and roofs crowned with conservatories. Even in Ger- 
many the saying is current, '' Wen Gott lieb hat, dem gibt Er 



SEVILLE 39 

ein Haus in Seville" (God gives His favourites a house in 
Seville). 

HISTORY 

Like Cadiz, Seville was a prosperous port under the Phoeni- 
cians, and was conquered by Caesar 45 b. c, the victory being 
regarded as important enough to be inscribed on the Roman 
Calendar. It became a favourite residence with the Roman 
patricians,' and the aqueduct, the amphitheatre and other re- 
mains show conclusively its Roman grandeur. There were 
elaborate temples erected to Venus, Bacchus, Mars and other 
deities. On one occasion, when the statue of Venus was being 
borne through the streets, two young maidens, new converts to 
Christianity, refused to worship the goddess, and the incensed 
populace hurried them to their death. These martyrs, Justa 
and RuFiNA, became the patron saints of Seville, and are thus 
represented in the works of Murillo. 

Later the city fell into the hands of the Vandals and after- 
wards it became one of the chief strongholds of the Moors until 
1248, when King St. Ferdinand conquered it with its 400,000 
inhabitants. 

In 1808, it was taken by the French, who carried away 
;^3o,ooo,ooo in plunder, but the battle of Salamanca in 1813 
delivered Spain entirely from French domination. 

THE PEOPLE 

Seville has been conspicuous in art and music, being the 
birthplace of Velazquez and Murillo, as well as the scene of 
Mozart's '' Don Juan " and '' Figaro," Rossini's '' The Barber 
of Seville," and of Bizet's '^ Carmen." Its present tendency 
seems to be more in accord with the Bohemian character of the 
light operas mentioned, than in upholding the high standards 
set by its great masters in art. While Seville is certainly a 
novel little world, with as unique features and pictures as can 
be found in Europe, the *' motif" of its general character and 
life is not exalted. In spite of its commercial activity, Seville 



40 SPAIN 

can show an immense number of picturesque idlers and loung- 
ers, who are adepts at guitar playing, singing and gambling. 
The women of Seville, although famed for their grace and 
beauty, cannot as a class be said to have a large intellectual 
horizon, as dress, the opera and the bull-fight, usually consti- 
tute the great prizes of their existence. 

The Streets of the city present a strange medley of sights 
and sounds, their motley throngs giving an interesting por- 
traiture of the Spanish traits of indolence, love of music, light- 
hearted disregard of the future, and fondness for hilarious 
amusement. In some of the cafes like the Suizo and the 
NovEDADES (both of which are on the Calle de las Sierpes, 
the principal thoroughfare), some characteristic gypsy dances 
may be seen. Across the Quadalquivir river is Triana, which 
is the quarter of the Spanish gypsies, where gypsy costumes 
and dancing can be witnessed in all the abandon of their 
bizarre environment. It can scarcely be said, however, that 
these make a large contribution to art and morality. 

Bull-Fights seem to be distinctively a Spanish institution, 
and have been in vogue for over four centuries. It is a cruel 
and brutalizing sport, and doubtless has had much to do with 
deadening the mental and moral life of the nation. In South- 
ern Spain these exhibitions are held on every Sunday and hol- 
iday from Easter to November. A number of kings since 
Ferdinand II as well as several popes* edicts, and the present 
Institute of Social Reform in Spain, have recorded their op- 
position, but the public enthusiasm remains unabated. The 
extent to which this national pastime is carried may be judged 
from the fact that there are not less than 252 specially constructed 
buildings in Spain for this purpose, while in 174 other localities, 
the market-places are temporarily adapted for the exhibition. In- 
dividual bull-fighters have killed several hundred animals, and 
their annual income frequently exceeds ;Jioo,ooo. Ibanezinhis 
*< Blood and Sand *' gives a graphic picture. The Bull Ring in 
Seville is an imposing building with room for 14,000 spectators. 

Next to bull-fighting, the Lottery is the universal passion. 



SEVILLE 41 

This is a public institution, managed on a tremendous scale, in 
which almost the entire populace, including women and chil- 
dren, try their fortune, and even visitors are constantly impor- 
tuned to purchase tickets. As the Spaniards of the lower 
classes cannot read, the various prizes that are offered are not 
printed in the newspapers, but are loudly heralded through the 
streets. The tickets are sold in special shops, which are almost 
as numerous as the wine houses. 

Until long after midnight the main Streets of the city are 
noisy and alive with revellers. In provincial towns the watch- 
man or serenoy armed with a spear and lantern, parades the 
street and in stentorian voice calls out the hour of the night, 
besides singing an '' Ave Maria '' on every corner. His name 
and his music are quite suggestive of the word ^' serenade." 

PLACES OF INTEREST 

Seville has a great deal both in its modern life as well as its 
ancient art to attract the traveller. The following features are 
of first importance. 

THE CATHEDRAL 

The Cathedral (open all day, except 12-2.30), is consid- 
ered by some to be the very finest in Christendom. As regards 
size, its area of 124,000 square feet is exceeded only by St. 
Peter*s which has 162,000 square feet, while the Milan Cathe- 
dral has but 90,000 and St. Paul's 84,000. But in its rich and 
massive Gothic architecture, its great storehouse of priceless art 
gems, and in its impression of solemn mystery, it has certainly 
no superior. 

On its site there was originally a temple of Venus which gave 
way to a Christian Church. On the ruins of the church, a 
Moorish mosque was built in 1184, and this was rebuilt as a 
church in its present form, beginning in 1402 and being fin- 
ished in 1506. 

It is one of the highest expressions of religious art. Many 
of its numerous paintings are masterpieces, its stained glass 



42 SPAIN 

windows are among the finest known, its sculpture is of a high 
order, and its silversmith work and wood carvings are unsur- 
passed in design, workmanship and value. There is not an- 
other church in the world which makes a more profound relig- 
ious impression upon the beholder. 

The massive structure includes not only the Cathedral, but 
a number of Chapels, the great tower called the Giraldo, the 
Court of Oranges, and the Columbine Library. 

The Cathedral itself is 380 by 250 feet. It contains many 
rich and massive pillars which were in the original Roman and 
Moorish structures. It has nine different entrances, all of 
them richly ornamented, seven naves, ninety-three windows 
and thirty-seven chapels. Certainly^ the original purpose *^to 
build it on so magnificent a scale that it shall be without a 
rival *' has not gone far amiss. 

Its first magnificent dome collapsed in 15 11, and its successor, 
weakened by earthquake shocks, fell on August i, 1888, doing 
enormous damage to the sacred treasures underneath. A new 
dome has been constructed, and the other damaged portions, 
including the Choir, have been repaired. 

Some of the great stained glass windows, the finest dating 
back to 1504, are the most beautiful specimens known. 
Among these are The Ascension^ Christ and Mary Magdalen^ 
the Aw akenmg of Lazarus^ and the Entry into Jerusalem, 

The Capilla Mayor and Side Chapels are storehouses of 
painting and sculpture. These Chapels are separated from the 
main body of the Cathedral by fine bronze railings. In the 
south transcept, just opposite an immense painting, thirty-three 
feet high, of St, Christopher^ is the Altar de la Gamba, 
with the famous Generacion by L. de Vargas. It depicts 
Adam and Eve adoring the Virgin. Near by is also the Mon- 
ument OF Columbus, originally placed in the cathedral at 
Havana in 1892, and brought to Seville in 1899. The small 
sarcophagus, supported by four allegorical figures in bronze, 
contains the mortal remains of the great discoverer. 

Continuing east towards the Sacristia Mayor, one enters the 



SEVILLE 43 

Capilla de LOS Dolores, in which may be seen Murillo*s 
Guardian Angel, as well as the pictures of the SS, Justa 
and Rufina by Goya. On the window-wall opposite is a St, 
John by Zurbaran. 

In the Sacristia Mayor are several good paintings, includ- 
ing Campana's Descent from the Cross , a Madonna by A. Cano, 
a St, Theresa by Zurbaran and the SS, Leander and Isa- 
dore by Murillo. Here also is the rich Treasury of the 
Cathedral containing the great silver Custodia, ten feet high, a 
bronze candelabrum twenty-six feet high, the series of gorgeous 
vestments used from the fourteenth century to the present time, 
and the two keys presented to St. Ferdinand on the capture of 
Seville. 

The Sala Capitular in the southeast corner of the Cathe- 
dral is noted for its beautiful ceiling and marble pavement, its 
sixteen marble medallions brought from Genoa, its Conception 
by Murillo, as well as his eight ovals between the windows. 

The Capilla Real on the east side of the Cathedral, is 
ninety-two by fifty feet, and one hundred and thirty feet high. 
It has a noble dome and the ornamentation is very rich. In 
this Chapel is the tomb of Alfonso the Learned who died 
1284, and that of his mother. Here is also the figure of 
the Virgin de los Reyes, dating from the thirteenth century, 
having removable golden hair and shoes ornamented with 
fleurs-de-lis. Here also is a shrine containing the body of 
King St. Ferdinand, who died 1252. 

There are a number of good paintings in the various chapels 
on the north side of the Cathedral, but very special attention 
should be called to Murillo' s masterpiece in the Capilla del 
Baptisterio (the one nearest the Sagrario) called St. Anthony 
of Padua' s Vision of the Holy Child, which is most exquisite 
in colouring and general effect. The figure of the kneeling 
saint was cut out of the picture in 1874, but was afterwards 
recovered in New York and deftly replaced. Above this pic- 
ture is Murillo' s Baptism of Christ, 

Just adjoining is The Sagrario, which is used as a parish 



44 SPAIN 

church. It has a Desceiit from the Cross and a Statue of St, 
Cle^nent that are worth seeing. The walls of the Sacristy in 
the Sagrario with their beautiful azulejos (decorated tiles), were 
originally a part of the Moorish mosque. 

The Patio de los Naranjos, or Court of the Oranges, is 
a part of the Cathedral on its north side, just east of the Sagra- 
rio. It has magnificent bronze doors entering into the spacious 
interior, which measures 298 by 125 feet. The fountain in 
the middle is of an old Moorish pattern. The entrance to the 
Cathedral itself still retains the horseshoe arch of the old 
mosque. At this entrance may be seen the stuffed crocodile 
sent by the Sultan of Egypt to King Alfonso the Learned, on 
making application for the hand of his daughter. 

The Biblioteca Columbina (open ten to three), on the 
north-east corner of the Cathedral was estabUshed by Fernando 
Colon (Columbus), the son of the great discoverer, who spent 
his wealth in collecting the books of his period, and at his 
death bequeathed them to the Cathedral. It contains 30,000 
volumes, and is rich in works that relate to the discovery of 
America. In the Library may be seen the Bible of Alfonso 
the Learned, and, what will be particularly interesting, five 
manuscripts of Columbus, including one that was written by 
him in prison for the purpose of pacifying the Inquisition. 

The Giralda (fee fifty centimos, open all day), may be con- 
sidered a part of the Cathedral, as it was originally the prayer 
tower of the mosque which formerly occupied the site of the 
Cathedral. It is a remarkable piece of architecture, scarcely 
surpassed by anything of the kind in the whole world. The 
impression which it makes may be accounted for by its remark- 
ably noble and harmonious proportions. It dates from the 
year 11 84, much of its material being furnished from previous 
structures of the Romans. It is forty-nine feet square at its 
base, and, including the more modern superstructure and the 
bronze figure of Faith from which it takes its name, is 308 
feet high. Somewhat of the general effect of this tower, in- 
cluding the idea of a great figure as a weathervane, has been 



SEVILLE 45 

copied in the tower of the Madison Square Garden in New- 
York. 

The tower is easily ascended by an inclined plane in thirty- 
five sections, ending in sixteen steps, which bring the traveller 
to the first gallery. This affords a remarkably fine view of 
Seville and its environs. The chime of twenty-two bells which 
may be seen here have all been duly baptized with oil and 
christened after various saints. On going sixty-nine steps 
higher the great clock of the tower will be reached. 

THE ALCAZAR 

The Alcazar (open eleven to four, fee one peseta to attendant), 
formerly a Moorish palace and a competitor of the Alhambra, is 
purely Moorish in architecture, although having had many sub- 
sequent additions, built by Spanish kings. Indeed, very little 
of the original Alcazar, which was begun in 1181, now re- 
mains, and the present building is much less extensive. Hence 
it cannot, like the Alhambra, be considered as a distinct ex- 
ample of the Moorish style, yet it has much of the same ex- 
quisite beauty of details. 

The exterior, with its massive walls and strong towers, gives 
the impression of a mediaeval structure. On entering, the at- 
tention is called to the Main Facade, after the Persian style, 
with projecting roof, stalactite frieze and marble columns. 
The narrow passage then leads to the Patio de las Doncel- 
las, or Court of the Maidens, sixty-two by fifty feet, with 
beautiful Moorish arches supported by double marble columns. 
This court, built by Charles V, somewhat resembles the Court 
of the Lions in the Alhambra. 

Immediately adjoining is the Salon de Carlos V, wath its 
beautiful wooden ceiling and square glazed tiles. To the west 
of the Court of the Maidens is the famous Salon de Embaja- 
DORES or Hall of the Ambassadors, thirty-three feet square and 
covered with a superb dome. On the walls are portraits of 
the Kings of Spain. Attention should be given to the hand- 
some vaulted doorways, each subdivided by two columns, as 



46 SPAIN 

well as to the ornamental Moorish designs. In this room 
Charles V. married Isabella of Portugal. Here also Don Pedro 
treacherously captured the Moorish king and his jewels. 

To the north of the Court of the Maidens is the Patio de 
LAS MuNECAS or DoUs' Court, so called on account of the 
numerous small figures in the ornamentation. Here the archi- 
tecture is most Alhambraic, with its slender marble pillars, and 
the delicate lacework on its walls and in its galleries. 

On the Upper Floor, the Chapel of the Catholic Kings 
should be visited to see the beautiful Altarpiece The Visitation 
painted on terra-cotta, as well as the Room of Peter the 
Cruel with its superb Flemish tapestry, and its death's heads 
painted on the wall to commemorate the execution by him of 
four corrupt judges. 

The Gardens of the Alcazar are very elaborate and beau- 
tiful, with many choice trees and flowering plants, as well as a 
maze, a grotto and a *< surprise" waterworks, where unwary 
visitors are likely to be sprinkled. 

Taken as a whole the visitor is almost as much impressed 
by the marvels of the Alcazar as by those of the Alhambra, es- 
pecially as it is in a much better state of preservation. Al- 
though much less extensive than the Alhambra, there is some- 
what of the same infinite wealth of ornamentation and colour 
effects. 

THE MUSEO PROVINCIAL 

The collection of paintings in the Museum (open ten to three, 
fee one-half peseta) is not large, numbering only 200, yet it is 
especially rich in Murillos and Zurbarans. As a collection it 
stands second to none in Spain save the Gallery at Madrid. 
The building was once a convent church, and it is poorly 
adapted for the display of pictures. 

All of the twenty-three Murillos are to be found in the 
nave of the former church. On the south wall, by the en- 
trance, should be noted his Conception^ and the Vergen de la 
ServilletSy the last so named, because he is said to have painted 



SEVILLE 47 

it on a napkin for a cook in the old Capuchin Monastery, from 
which all these Murillos originally came. 

On the north wall are to be seen St. Felix of Cantalicio with 
the Lifant Jesus and the Almsgiving of St, Thomas of Vil- 
lanuevay both of which are masterpieces, the latter being Mu- 
rillo's favourite work. There are here also such great works as 
the Conception^ the Adoration of the Shepherds and Christ on 
the Cross embracing St, Francis. In the Museo are also St» 
Anthony with the Holy Child and Joseph and the Infa7it Jesus. 

Among the notable pictures by Zurbaran are his St, Punzon ; 
Apotheosis of St, Thomas Aquinas ^ one of his greatest works ; 
and St, Louis Beltram, 

Other important pictures are the Martyrdom of St, Matthew 
by Roelas, and his St, Anna and the Virgin, Several sculptures 
also claim attention including Virgin and Child and the statue of 
St. Jerome, both by P. Torrigiani, and several wooden figures by 
Montesof St. Dominic y Virgin and Child, and John the Baptist. 

THE CHURCH ^'LA CARIDAD'* 

This church (open daily, fee one-half peseta) was founded in 
1578 by a dissipated young nobleman who sought to atone for 
his excesses by building a hospital for the aged. Its interest 
centres in the celebrated pictures by Murillo, which show him 
at the highest level of his art. These pictures should not 
under any circumstances be missed. Perhaps the greatest of 
them is La Sed (Thirst), showing Moses beside the rock and 
the parched multitude in eager expectation. This picture is 
generally known through Esteve's engraving. Two other large 
and important pictures are Christ Feeding the Five Thousand 
and the Young John the Baptist, In addition, there is an 
Infant Saviour, an Annunciation and San Jua7i de Dios Carry- 
ing the Sick Man, 

There are also several brilliantly coloured, but rather grue- 
some, pictures by Juan Valdes Leal. 

The Casa Longa was built in 1583 for the merchants of 



48 SPAIN 

Seville. It has a magnificent marble staircase which leads to 
the second story where may be found an extensive collection of 
documents relating to the discovery, conquest and government 
of America, with autographs of Magellan, Balboa, Amerigo 
Vespucci, Fernando Cortes, etc. The ground floor is the 
Seville Chamber of Commerce. 

The University, founded by Alfonso the Learned in 1256, 
now has twenty-seven professors, and its building and church 
have some interesting pictures and busts. 

The principal hotels in Seville are the Hotel de Madrid, the 
Hotel de Paris and Hotel de Inglaterra, the rates being from 
twenty-five pesetas upward. 

CORDOVA 

The trip from Seville to Cordova (or Cordoba) is eighty-one 
miles. Hotel Suizo, de Oriente and de Espana. It has 66,- 
492 inhabitants (1920). The city has lost much of its pristine 
distinction and glory. 

The Cathedral, once a Mosque, is the noblest creation of 
Moorish architecture in Spain, founded 785 a. d. The Ground 
Plan forms an immense rectangle 575 by 427 feet, about a third 
of this being occupied by a court. The Campanario or bell 
tower is 305 feet, from the top of which there is an extensive 
view. 

The interior of the Cathedral has a forest of columns thirteen 
feet in height showing a wealth of diverse materials and varied 
design. The Third Mihrab is a marvel of art, with elaborate 
effects of early Moorish art. The Renaissance Choir of later 
Spanish construction is 256 by 79 feet and has 63 columns. 

The Alcazar y now a prison, has a few ancient Moorish relics. 
The Moorish Bridge and the Jardines de la Victoria should be 
visited. 



1 



GRANADA 49 

III— GRANADA AND THE 
ALHAMBRA 

**77ie splendours 0/ an Oriental Dreamland,^'* 

■*^HE town of Granada, -with a population of 77,477 
in 1920, is no longer in such a state of neglect and 
decay that it seems ^*a Hving ruin." It has in re- 
cent years become a progressive city. The fact of its altitude 
of 2,195 f^^^> ^^^ genial summer chmate and beautiful views, 
including the crest of the Sierra Nevada, the majestic Picacho 
de la Veleta (11,148 feet), together with its Alhambraic treas- 
ures make it a favourite resort for tourists. The main part of 
the city has become modernized, has many fine buildings and 
shops, and the army of beggars formerly in evidence has largely 
disappeared. The section once occupied by the Moorish aris- 
tocracy now has the hovels and caves of gypsy dwellers. 
Granada is the seat of an Archbishop and of a University. 

The general effect of the town and environment is most 
beautiful. Granada itself, forming a sort of amphitheatre, rises 
gradually from the river, until the summit is reached, where 
the Alhambra, the glory of the ancient city, and a veritable 
Acropolis of imposing effect, dominates the picture. The old 
palaces built upon the crest in the golden age of Moorish 
supremacy, still have magnetic power enough, even in their 
decay, to make Granada the climax of all Spanish cities. The 
effectiveness of this old Moorish citadel is greatly enhanced by 
the imposing Sierra Nevada in the distance, whose snowy 
peaks seem to add a fitting frame to the picture. It is no 
wonder that Charles V. was led to exclaim '* Unhappy he who 
lost all this." 

HISTORY 

The history of the tenth, eleventh and twelfth centuries 
forms a confusing network of internecine feuds among warring 



so SPAIN 

Moorish factions. After the fall of the Caliphate at Cordova 
in 1 03 1, the viceroy of Granada declared himself independent, 
fortified the Alhambra hill, and was the founder of the dynasty 
of the Zirites, who reigned about 200 years. The real great- 
ness of Granada, however, begins with Mohammed I. (1232- 
1272), who commenced the building of the Alhambra struc- 
tures, a work which was continued by the successors of his 
(Nasride) dynasty, culminating in the reign of Mohammed V. 
(1354-1391), who built the Court of the Myrtles, the Court 
of the Lions, and other of the finest parts of the structure. 

The decline and fall of the Moors were caused by internecine 
feuds even more than by the prowess of Spain. This went so 
far that one of the earlier kings of Granada, Al-Ahmar (Mo- 
hammed L), in 1238 made terms with the Castilians, and even 
helped them in the conquest of Seville. These dissensions 
continued throughout the entire 250 years of the reign of his 
dynasty, and reached their culmination just before the fall of 
Granada. But in spite of the Moorish civil strifes, its civiUza- 
tion and culture reached their climax, and during this period, 
Granada was easily the wealthiest city in Europe, and became 
the seat of Arabic writers, architects, geographers and scien- 
tists. Whatever may be said of the weakness and vice of the 
Moors during this period, they represented a standard of art 
and education that was not equalled in Christian Europe. 

But towards the last, internal factions within the narrow 
boundaries of Granada itself began to weaken its power. Dis- 
sensions between the wives of the household of King Abu*l 
Hasan (1462-1485) had not a little to do with the forming of 
tragic and fatal conspiracies. As a part of this conspiracy, 
Boabdil, the last King of Granada, succeeded in dethroning 
his father, Abu*l Hasan, but his rule was of short duration. 
After various misadventures, he was finally forced to surrender 
Granada to the Spanish King Ferdinand on January 2, 1492. 

The legend goes that while crossing the Sierra Nevada on 
his withdrawal from Granada, Boabdil turned to take a last 
look at the beautiful city he had lost, and his eyes were suf* 



THE ALHAMBRA 51 

fused with tears. His unflinching mother, Aisha, sternly re- 
buked him with the words, ** Weep not like a woman for what 
you could not defend like a man.'* 

The conquest of Granada, and the expulsion of the Moors 
from Europe, were made the occasion of general thanksgiving 
throughout Christendom, a special '^ Te Deum '' being sung in 
St. Paul's in London. 

THE ALHAMBRA 

The Alhambra seems intended by nature as a fortress. From 
early times it had three divisions, the lower end towards the city 
being the Alcazaba, or the citadel proper, including the 
residences of the governors of Granada, the central division 
being the Alhambra, or the Palace of the Kings, and the third 
division at the farthest end from the city being the Alhambra 
Alta, which formed the quarters of the officials. The whole 
was surrounded by a strong imposing wall, punctuated with 
numerous towers. It covers an area 795 by 195 yards. 

The Alhambra as a whole lacks somewhat of that unity of 
design and lofty inspiration evident in the mosque of Cordova, 
showing somewhat of a decadence in Moorish architecture by 
an excess of ornamentation. Yet in gorgeous magnificence it 
is unrivalled, and it is the acme of decorative art. There is 
an infinite variety, blended with the most exquisite grace, 
which is all the more effective because of the perfect work- 
manship. There is no structure that can compare with it in 
airy, veil-hke transparency of filigree work, entire walls and 
partitions being as elaborate as some delicate jewel casket. 

Time and ill-usage have greatly diminished the brilliancy 
and glory of the effect. Charles V. tore away some of the 
Moorish buildings to make room for his massive but prosaic 
palace, which is now occasionally used for floral festivals and 
general exhibitions. Several of the most beautiful courts were 
damaged by a powder explosion in 1591, the dam.age being 
indifferently repaired. Philip V. diverted to his personal use 
the money appropriated for the preservation of the buildings. 



52 SPAIN 

During the centuries, it has been the rendezvous for smugglers 
and vagabonds, and it was even used by the French army for 
the stabHng of horses. In 1812, the departing French com- 
mander decided to blow up the Alhambra, and this act of 
horrible desecration would actually have been committed, had 
it not been for the courage and presence of mind of a Spanish 
soldier, who secretly cut the main fuse. During the past 
century there have been some limited efforts at restoration, 
which, although being far from doing justice to the originals, 
have at least the merit of stopping the further decay. 

DESCRIPTION 

The main entrance (open eight to twelve, one-thirty to five) 
is through the Puerta de las Granadas, a rather uninterest- 
ing structure in the form of a triumphal arch. At the top are 
three pomegranates, which are the characteristic symbol, the 
name Granada being derived from them. The Granada coat- 
of-arms include the pomegranate supported on the pillars of 
Hercules. To this has since been added the " plus ultra '' of 
Charles V. 

The Vermilion Tcwers (Torres Bermejas) are extensive 
and specially interesting, because of their extensive buildings, 
their large cisterns, their underground stables, and the op- 
portunity afforded of studying the Moorish art of fortifi- 
cations. 

The Alhambra Park (Alameda), which fills the entire 
valley between the Alhambra and the Monte Maurer, is well 
wooded with fine elms (planted in 181 2 by the Duke of Well- 
ington), which are said to be the haunt of nightingales. The 
Park can also be reached direct by the Hill Tramway. 

Passing through the Park one comes to the Gate of Judg- 
ment (Puerta Judiciaria), where the Khedive was supposed to 
give audience to his humblest subject. This is still customary 
throughout the East, and is according to the old Jewish law, 
''Judges shalt Thou make in all Thy gates*' (Deut. 16: 18). 
It is a massive tower, forty-seven feet square and sixty-seven 



THE ALHAMBRA 53 

feet high, with sculptured capitals on its pillars, and an elabo- 
rate inscription which begins, *< There is no God but Allah." 
Over the second arch is a key, signifying the power granted to 
Mohammed to open the gates of Paradise. 

Ascending the hill, we come to the Plaza de los Aljibez, 
its reservoir which is a hundred feet long being fringed with 
hedges of myrtle. The Alhambra itself, or Casa Real, as 
it is called, and the Palace of Charles V are on the eastern 
side. The east front of the Alcazaba with its two impres- 
sive towers is on the left and to the north is the Darrow 
Valley. 

The Alcazaba (fortress) is now only a great ruin, with 
decaying walls, the interior castle being occupied by garden 
beds. It still, however, gives evidence of its strength of former 
days. On the western extremity stands the Torre de la 
Vela, or watch-tower, from which the flag of the conquering 
Ferdinand first floated on the afternoon of January 2, 1492. 
Its turret contains a huge bell weighing twelve tons, by whose 
ringing the opening and shutting of the irrigation channel in 
the vega are regulated. The view from this tower is extremely 
fine. 

The Moorish Palace of the Alhambra, the property of 
the Spanish government, has a very unimpressive exterior, its 
beauty, as is the case in all Arab architecture, being reserved 
for the interior. It really consists of a series of palaces, each 
having its own court with its various rooms opening upon it. 
The architecture is strictly unique, the product of Moorish 
genius working entirely independent of all known models. 

The architecture represents the third period in Moorish art, 
the first being seen at Cordova with its stricter adherence to 
Byzantine models. The second is seen in Seville, where a 
more independent and characteristic style finds expression, 
which finally develops in the third stage as seen in the 
Alhambra. There are, however, evidences of artistic decay in 
the excessive use of wood and plaster, in over-delicate and 
effeminate designs, in the thin fragile columns making up in 



54 SPAIN 

numbers what they lack in solidity, and in the intricate orna- 
mentation that seems according to geometric rule rather than 
original conceptions. Hence the first impression may be that 
of slight disappointment, although it should be remembered 
that the absence of the rich furnishings and gay throngs give it 
a silence and barrenness that rob it of much of its charm. 

The Court of the Myrtles (Arrayanes) takes this name 
from a pool of water surrounded by myrtles. It is quite spa- 
cious, being 120x70 feet, but offers little attractiveness. The 
ends, with their slender columns and handsome arcades, are 
beautiful. 

At the northeast end of the Court of the Myrtles, there is a 
horseshoe arch entering into a vestibule {Sala de la Bared), 
the anteroom of the Torre de Comares, the middle of which 
is occupied by the famous Gallery of the Ambassadors 
(Embaj adores) thirty-seven feet square and sixty feet high. 
Here the last council of Boabdil was held to consider the ques- 
tion of the surrender of Granada. Its ornamentation is among 
the finest in the Alhambra, there being 152 different patterns. 
Its ceiling is inlaid with white, blue and gold in the shape of 
circles and stars, as though imitating the vault of heaven. 
The floor was of alabaster, and the roof was arched with 
mother-of-pearl, jasper and porphyry. The immense thickness 
of the walls is shown by the depth of the window-recesses. 

Returning to the southeast end of the Myrtle Court one en- 
ters another vestibule {Sala de los Mocarabes), thirteen by 
sixty-five feet, decorated in red, blue, and gold. Thence into 
the Court of the Lions (Leones), ninety-two by fifty-two 
feet. While this is very famous, it is not as impressive as the 
Hall of the Ambassadors. Still it has a rare beauty of its own. 
The lightness of its 1 24 columns, the grace of its proportions, the 
bewildering variety of its designs and the stalactite-arched roof, 
— all serve to make this one of the choicest of artistic creations. 

The famous Fountain of Lions is ten feet in diameter, and of 
pure Moorish design and workmanship. The lions are of white 
marble and are symbolical of strength and courage. On January 




COURT OF LIONS, ALHAMBRA 



THE ALHAMBRA 55 

2d of each year (the date of the conquest of Granada), the water 
flows in the Lion Fountain and in the eight smaller ones at the 
ends of the court, and thousands of Spanish people come here 
to celebrate. It is on this occasion that Spanish girls vie with 
one another as to which of them can strike the bell in the 
Watch-tower loudest, as it is believed that the victors will get 
the best husbands within the year. 

Passing again through the Sala de la Mocarabes, we enter 
the Hall of Abencerrages, which has its name from the 
legend that Boabdil invited the chiefs of this name to a banquet 
in this hall, and then had them all beheaded on account of an 
alleged intrigue of their foremost chief Hamet with his wife. 
Queen Morayma. The reddish- brown stains on the marble of 
the fountain occupying the centre are popularly supposed to be 
the blood of these chiefs. This cruel act is said to have has- 
tened BoabdiFs downfall, as the entire noble family of the 
Abencerrages were the mainstay of his kingdom. There are 
in this hall some fine doors, marble floors, and especially some 
exquisite arches supporting a roof beautifully inlaid with blues, 
browns, reds and gold blended together. 

To the southeast of the Court of the Lions is the Hall of 
Justice (Sala de la Justicia), a long gallery seventy-five by six- 
teen feet. Here the ornamentation is very minute and elabo- 
rate, and more profusely coloured than anywhere else. One 
of the arches which opens into the central saloon is scarcely 
equalled in the Alhambra, and seems to be the work of fairies 
in its airy and gossamer- like workmanship and design. 

The side rooms have ceiling paintings, one showing ten 
bearded Moors seated on cushions and holding double-edged 
swords in their hands. It has been generally believed that 
they represent the first ten kings of Granada, beginning with 
Mohammed I, but there are many critics who doubt the Moor- 
ish origin of these pictures on account of the prohibition in the 
Koran, and the utter absence of pictorial art among Mohamme- 
dans. Such critics ascribe the pictures to early Spanish artists. 

The Hall of the Tv70 Sisters (Sala de las dos Hermanas), 



56 SPAIN 

on the northeast side of the Court of the Lions, takes its name 
from the two white slabs which form a part of the floor. This 
was a part of the private apartments of the Sultanas, and the 
inscriptions all relate to their charms. This room, although 
badly damaged by a gunpowder explosion, still shows wonder- 
ful beauty, especially in its honeycombed stalactite vaulting, 
the largest of all Arab ceilings, with no less than 5,000 pieces 
in its construction, each differing from all the others, and yet 
blending together in wonderful symmetry. 

This room contains the famous Vase, enamelled in blue, 
white and gold, which, according to tradition, was found full 
of gold. It is four feet four inches high, beautifully enamelled, 
with the figures of two gazelles, which are not likely to be 
Moorish workmanship. 

Other rooms in this Suite are the Hall of the Ajimeces, the 
MiRADOR DE Daraxa and the Patio de Daraxa with its foun- 
tain and orange trees. From the Myrtle Court on a lower level 
one enters the Patio del Mexuar (Council Chamber), the 
oldest part of the Alhambra, as well as the Baths with its 
couches and galleries of singing girls. 

THE CATHEDRAL 

The Granada Cathedral (open all day except 1 1-2.30), was 
built as a memorial of the expulsion of the Moors, and, in spite 
of the fact that it was never completed according to its elabo- 
rate plans, it is one of the really notable European cathedrals, 
and the finest example of Renaissance architecture in Spain. 
The rich sculptures and paintings are principally due to Alonso 
Cano, who had fled to Granada on being accused of the mur- 
der of his wife. 

The Interior is 380 by 220 feet, and the vaulted roof, 
which is about 100 feet in height, is supported by massive 
piers formed of four Corinthian pilasters placed back to back. 
The decoration is mainly white and gold, harmonizing well 
with the handsome marble pavement. 

The Capilla Mayor, 144 feet long and 155 feet high, with 



GIBRALTAR 57 

its lofty domed roof upheld by Corinthian columns, is adorned 
by many paintings, including a series on the Life of the 
Virgin by A. Cano. There are also other chapels contain- 
ing interesting art treasures. 

In the Capilla Real are the Royal Monuments in marble in 
the style of the Italian Renaissance, including those of Ferdi- 
nand and Isabella, which are ornamented with fine statues and 
reliefs. In this Chapel are also the kneeling statues of Ferdi- 
nand and Isabella, and wooden reliefs showing Boabdil surren- 
dering the key of the Alhambra. 

Other places of interest in Granada are the Sacro Monte, 
with its superb view of Granada and its environs, the Museo 
Provincial with its 400 paintings of which few have special 
merit, the Alameda or Public Park, the University, with forty 
professors, and especially the Palacio de Generalife, the 
celebrated summer residence of the Moorish princes, which af- 
fords a surpassing view. 



IV— GIBRALTAR 

" There where Gibraltar'' s cannoned steep 
O^ erf r owns the wave^ 

GIBRALTAR is **' unique in position, in picturesque- 
ness and in history.'^ It is at once ^'a fortress, a 
colony and a prison.'^ From a distance the Rock 
appears like a huge crouching lion, in form somewhat like the 
statue in Trafalgar Square, London. It is one of four British 
strongholds in the Mediterranean forming a quadrilateral, the 
other three corners being Malta, Cyprus and Egypt. 

Gibraltar is about two miles north and south and two- thirds 
of a mile east and west, the complete circuit being seven miles. 
It has three summits, — Europa Point being the southernmost, 
the Highest Point (1,396 feet) in the middle, and Mt. Rockgun 
(1,356 feet), at the northern extremity. Signal Station and 
O'Hara's Folly (so called after a Lieutenant-Governor who 



58 SPAIN 

thought that from a tower built on this point he could observe 
the Spanish fleet at Cadiz) are near the middle. 

Leaving Cadiz and its flat shores in the distance, one soon 
enters the Straits of Gibraltar. The Rock begins to rise ma- 
jestically before us, and the Spanish hills, — the approaches to 
the Sierra Nevadas, form an impressive picture in the back- 
ground. 

HISTORY 

Gibraltar in early history was successively in the hands of 
the Phoenicians, then of the Romans, afterwards being taken 
by the Goths and Vandals, and finally in 7 1 1 a. d. being cap- 
tured by the Moors. Its present name is from Gibel, a rock, 
and Taric, the first Moorish conqueror. 

In 1309, after fourteen sieges, it was taken by Ferdinand 
IV, but was held only twenty-two years, being, however, re- 
gained by Spain in 1462. The legend of King Roderick of 
Spain and Count Julian of Barbary, and the latter' s treachery 
and vengeance because of the insult to his daughter, is asso- 
ciated with these wars. It has been used by Scott in *^ The 
Vision of Don Roderick," and by Southey in ^^ Roderick, the 
last of the Goths," and by Landor in his '^ Count JuHan." 

During the temporary possession by the Moors, the story 
goes that in the final wars Queen Isabella took her seat outside 
the fortress, saying that she would not leave until the Spanish 
flag should float over the citadel. She would have perished 
here, if she had remained true to this vow, had not the Moorish 
governor politely raised the Spanish flag for a mom.ent, thus 
releasing her from her pledge. 

In 1704, Gibraltar was taken by Sir George Rooke, the Eng- 
lish admiral, although without his having instructions to do so, 
in order that he might not return empty-handed after a fruit- 
less effort at Barcelona. It was no great victory, since Rooke 
had forty-five battleships, and had to contend with a garrison 
where only 150 men were stationed to use 100 guns. Thus 
Spain lost in three days what had taken her three centuries to 




'(jT.SuTojxx P<7int 



GIBRALTAR 59 

gain. Some time after, 500 Spanish soldiers at night scaled 
the Eastern rock, which is almost as steep as the El Capitan in 
the Yosemite, and surprised the British garrison, but were 
finally subdued. 

The English failure in America gave Spain and France hope 
that the Rock might be retaken, and the most elaborate prepara- 
tions were made for attack. In 1779, a determined siege last- 
ing four years was entered upon. Had it not been for the iron 
resolution of its commander, Sir George Elliott, who during a 
special stringency set his soldiers an example by living upon 
an allowance of four ounces of rice daily, the siege would cer- 
tainly have been successful. The brilliant victory in the open 
sea by Admiral Rodney in January, 1780 also helped the 
British cause, by breaking the blockade and thus bringing pro- 
visions to the starving garrison. Dr. H. M. Field gives a full 
and vivid picture of this remarkable contest in his book 
''Gibraltar.*^ The peace of Utrecht confirmed England's 
possession of the Rock, which she has since maintained. 

THE FORTRESS 

Although from a distance the Rock stands out grim and 
bare, a closer approach shows it to be covered with luxuriant 
vines and shrubbery, as though Nature were trying to belie the 
Rock's warlike reputation. One need only step on shore, how- 
ever, to get an idea of its martial character. Its eight mili- 
tary districts with their network of guns, its rocky base sur- 
rounded by batteries and its summit bristling with cannon, its 
soldiers and sentinels, its drums and bugles and roaring cannon, 
all confirm the fact that this is the world's mightiest stronghold. 

The Rock is honeycombed with tunnels from whose port- 
holes gunners can pour out deadly fire, while being in the 
meantime completely protected. Here are great modern guns 
that command every inch of the straits and are able to throw 
shots weighing over a ton, thus making the Rock almost a per- 
fect protection for the Mediterranean. The Windsor Gallery 
alone forms a continuous passage nearly half a mile in length. 



6o SPAIN 

As England is not over-anxious to edify strangers, visitors who 
are not English citizens are usually shown only the Lower or 
Union Gallery, which pierces the rock 590 feet above the 
sea. It should be remembered that wraps are desirable in 
visiting these galleries, as they are damp and chilly. Persons 
suffering from short breath or weak hearts will also find this 
a somewhat exhausting trip. While the guns in this gallery 
are useless for modern warfare, many of them being a hundred 
years old, still the visitor can get a good general idea of the 
fortifications. 

It should be noted that everywhere on the Rock martial law 
prevails. No foreigner can reside here without his consul or 
householder becoming his security. Even the introduction of 
English military officers is not good for more than thirty days. 
The gates of the town are closed from sunset to sunrise, the 
morning and evening gun announcing the opening and shutting. 
While the exact time naturally varies, in February the gates 
are open from about 6 a. m. to 6:30 p. m. Up to 11:30 p. m., 
however, a person may pass in or out, if previous application 
has been made at the Police Station. 

Everywhere on the Rock cameras are forbidden, and sketch- 
ing and taking of notes are not supposed to be allowed. Fortu- 
nately, tourists are not required to go about blindfolded. 

A large English garrison is permanently situated here, aver- 
aging about 6,000 men. England has recently built a great 
dry dock, so as to increase the Rock's value as a naval base 
and coaling station. She has also completed a new harbour at 
a cost of $20,000,000, which is capable of receiving the largest 
ships. The Rock is provisioned to withstand a siege of an 
indefinite number of years. Cisterns are provided for securing 
a supply of rain-water, and in recent years a fine spring has 
been discovered. 

ADMINISTRATION 
Formerly very pungent criticisms concerning England's 
administration came from English sources. The Westminster 



GIBRALTAR 6i 

Review (April, 1897), made strong charges in connection with 
the smuggling which was still countenanced ; the decreasing 
coaling by passing steamers because of short measure; the 
putting of ignorant non-English-speaking natives on the police 
force ; the multiplicity of evil resorts endangering the health 
as well as the morals of the soldiers ; and even the charge that 
occasional acts of piracy were committed under the Rock*s 
very shadow. But criticisms are very rare in these days. The 
efficiency of the administration is unquestioned. The Governor 
is General Sir Horace L. Smith-Dorrien, who is also commander- 
in-chief of the army. He exercises all functions of government 
and legislation. With him is associated one magistrate court 
and one higher court. It is distinctively a military administra- 
tion of rigorous routine. 

IS GIBRALTAR A GOOD INVESTMENT? 

The Fortnightly Review (February, 1893) makes a strong 
argument to prove the uselessness of Gibraltar even in case of 
war. While doubtless it could withstand the most terrific and 
prolonged siege, it is really valueless as a naval base. Ships 
could not coal nor undergo repairs and neither men nor pro- 
visions could be landed because of the possibility of terrific 
fire from the Spanish lines at Linea. The writer of the article 
advises that it should be sold or exchanged for Spain's pos- 
sessions in Morocco, notably Ceuta, the opposite *^ Pillar of 
Hercules," where England would have the resources of the 
country behind it and at the same time be out of range of the 
Spanish guns. In answer to this line of argument it could be 
said that the Rock's superior artillery could very quickly and 
effectually silence the guns at Linea, especially in view of the 
proved inefficiency of Spanish gunners in the Spanish- American 
war. 

Gold win Smith in ''The Empire" asserts that Malta is suffi- 
cient as a Mediterranean fortress, and that Gibraltar is costing 
England too much, both in money and in the good will of Spain 
and other nations. Mr. John Bright in open Parliament de- 



62 SPAIN 

clared that Gibraltar should be restored to Spain, calling atten- 
tion to the fact that it was annually costing England over a 
million dollars in time of peace, and that in the aggregate not 
less than $250,000,000 had been spent in its defenses. All 
this is not quite in accord with Burke's statement made many 
years ago, that '^Gibraltar made England invaluable to its 
friends and dreadful to its enemies/' It is apropos in this con- 
nection to recall the question which Henry T. Finck asked of 
a German Embassador, namely, as to whether in his opinion 
Von Moltke could take the fortress. The cynical answer from 
the ambassador was that Von Moltke would not consider it 
worth taking. 

THE '^NEUTRAL GROUND^' 

A sandy strip called ^^ neutral ground'' separates the Rock 
from the Spanish lines at Linea. Spain no doubt feels some- 
what about the Rock as France did towards Germany in con- 
nection with Alsace-Lorraine. Still there are no outward evi- 
dences of hatred or hostility. Some of Spain's resentment 
was removed in 1895 by a regulation prohibiting the importa- 
tion of tobacco. A great deal of smuggling takes place through 
the lines, and pedestrians as well as conveyances are vigor- 
ously searched by Spanish officials. American tourists are 
rarely inconvenienced. 

INTERESTING SCENES 

The near approach to Gibraltar is in itself one of the most 
impressive of sights, reminding one of Browning's words, 

" In the dimmest northeast distance, 
Dawned Gibraltar, grand and gray." 

On entering the city (population 27,460) the traveller is im- 
pressed with the absence of solidity and beauty in the archi- 
tecture. This is owing to the fact that, as Gibraltar may be 
the scene of war and bombardment at any time, it is scarcely 
worth while to build costly and impressive structures. Some 



GIBRALTAR 63 

quaint Moorish and Spanish buildings and remains, however, 
give some variety to the otherwise unattractive town. The 
main thoroughfare is Waterport Street, containing most of 
the hotels, the post and telegraph offices and the Public 
Buildings. 

The Catholic Cathedral rebuilt by Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella in 1 50 1, and the Anglican Cathedral, as the ugly little 
church is called because it has the honour of being the seat of 
an AngHcan Bishop, are scarcely worth visiting. Among the 
cypressed trees of Southport Street is the plain official Resi- 
dence OF the Governor, which was formerly a convent of 
Franciscan friars. In the old Choir Chapel, which is now the 
Garrison Ballroom, are the panelled windows emblazoned with 
the arms of Moorish caliphs from 711 to 1461. On the fine 
cedar doorways are the crests of Spanish kings. 

Outside the gate is the Alameda or Public Garden, a most 
attractive pleasure park, a portion of which is used as a parade 
ground. In February and March it is in its gala dress, with a 
luxuriant subtropical vegetation. The park commands fine 
views of the Strait as well as of the coast of Africa. It is the 
favourite promenade and lounging place where the diverse ele- 
ments of population may be easily observed. 

None except British citizens are permitted to go to the top 
of Signal Station, although other parts of the heights are 
sometimes visited by strangers. Near the top is St. Michael's 
Cave, a vast circular chamber with stalactite columns and 
lofty arches. It contains a black fathomless gulf, which some 
years since became the tomb of two English officers, who acci- 
dentally fell into it. It is believed by many that through some 
subterranean passage at the bottom of this abyss, the African 
apes, which now inhabit the Rock, passed originally from the 
African shore. These apes are so intelligent that the natives 
assert that they can speak but hide the fact lest they should be 
made to work. They are as much respected as are the storks 
in Holland, in spite of the fact that they do not respect the 
rights of the owners of adjacent fruit trees. C. D. Warner 



64 SPAIN 

suggests that they would afford a fine field for Positivist mis* 
sionaries ! Most people are sceptical that any apes remain. 

The View from the top of the Rock is one of the grandest 
in the world, overlooking two continents and embracing two 
seas dotted with ships from every nation in the world. Just 
opposite is the companion rock and Spanish fort Ceuta, often 
named Cibyla, the mount of God. To the eastward in Spain, 
twelve miles away, is Tarifa, where the Barbary pirates main- 
tained a great fortified castle, and exacted generous toll from 
every ship which passed by, — hence the word ^'tariff,** the 
derivation of which may furnish free traders with an excellent 
text as well as illustration. The Moorish range of mountains, 
the Sierra Bullones with its highest peak the ^' Gibel Musa," 
forms a majestic background. 

Just opposite is the city of Algecirus, which may be reached 
in half an hour by a steamboat which makes frequent trips. 
Beyond to the east, separated by the bay and a large forest, is 
Trafalgar, where Nelson gained his greatest victory at the 
cost of his life, October 21, 1805. 

A walk along the Line Wall nearly two miles long gives a 
full view of the Spanish territory and defenses, and of Rosea 
Bay, a beautiful basin whose waters are still and deep, but 
which might not prove a peaceful haven for ships in time of 
war, as the bay is fairly surrounded by guns. 

THE PEOPLE 

The streets of the town present a remarkably cosmopolitan 
appearance. The Barbary Moors with their snow-white tur- 
bans, the Arabs with hooded garments, bare legs and yellow 
slippers, the Highland soldiers in their bright-coloured char- 
acteristic uniforms, long-bearded Jews in gabardines, Turks in 
their baggy trousers, together with a mingling of Spaniards, 
Portuguese, Africans, Maltese, Levafttines and picturesque 
Moorish beauties, — all serve to make a bizarre and memorable 
picture in its strange mingling of the twentieth and fifteenth 
centuries. 




VIEWS OF GIBRALTAR 



GIBRALTAR 65 

LINEA 

England has busied herself more with her fortifications than 
with the moral and religious redemption of Gibraltar. Yet one 
only needs to cross the border past the ** neutral ground '* to 
the adjoining Spanish town of Linea, or Lenea, with 31,862 in- 
habitants, to see how vastly superior is the English administra- 
tion. It is a lamentable picture of sloth, filth, stagnation and 
degeneracy. Let the visitor compare it with any town of its 
size in the United States, England or Germany, and the result 
will be stern judgment upon the Spanish government as it now 
exists. 

Passing through some filthy and noisome narrow streets, 
which have not a sign of modern sanitary improvements, we 
visited a school of about forty boys, all of them, including the 
teacher, smoking cigarettes. Some were seated lazily on the 
floor, and scarcely a single one showed any sign of apphcation 
to the supposed work in hand. And yet only a small propor- 
tion of the boys in Spain (to say nothing of the girls) have 
even such inadequate advantages. 

RELIGION AND EDUCATION 

There are four religious bodies at work. As Gibraltar is 
largely Spanish, although the clean streets and absence of beg- 
gars make a pleasant contrast to Spanish cities generally, the 
prevailing religion is of course Catholic, there being fourteen 
Catholic churches. The English Cathedral is well attended, 
though wholly by officers, soldiers and English residents. The 
Wesleyan Methodists are doing active work, not only among 
the troops, but also among Spanish-speaking people. They 
have a number of communicants and Sunday-school scholars 
and about three hundred day-school pupils. There are sixteen 
elementary schools, of which twelve are Roman Catholic, with 
2,604 pupils. There are also several private English schools. 

The Free Church of Scotland has a church built in 1854 
with a pastor and fifty-nine communicants. Its congregations 
are largely made up of soldiers in the Scotch regiments. The 



66 SPAIN 

pastor has expressed himself as particularly happy when there 
is a Scotch regiment stationed there, as he is sure to have 
some stalwart Scots with the *^gift of prayer," for the genuine 
Scot is apt to take his religion as much in earnest as he does 
his fighting. 

Taken as a whole, the religious condition of Gibraltar leaves 
very much to be desired, especially when it is remembered 
that England is in absolute control. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Hotels. — The best hotels are Cecil, Bristol and Europa. 
Charges from twenty-five pesetas a day upwards. 

Carriages. — The charge for carriages is three shillings 
an hour for two persons, with extra charge for every 
additional passenger. A ride around the southern end of 
the Rock, with a jaunt across the " neutral ground " to Linea, 
will be found most enjoyable. A strict bargain as regards rates 
should be made in advance to prevent overcharging. 

Money. — Both English and Spanish money are current, the 
shopkeepers preferring to receive English money which is nearly 
at par, and giving Spanish silver in change. For information 
regarding Spanish money see under Cadiz. 

Purchases. — There are few characteristic souvenirs to be pur- 
chased, as nearly all goods are brought from England and the 
Continent, and the prices are noticeably higher. A selection of 
photographs should not be forgotten. Maltese lace and fine 
drawn work and embroideries can be bought to advantage. 
Also oranges in characteristic grass baskets. 

Climate. — While the weather in early spring is usually balmy 
and delightful, storms accompanied with the cold winds from 
the mountains sometimes make sight-seeing far from agreeable. 
At such times extra wraps are indispensable. In summer, the 
heat at noonday is trying. 

Consul. — The American Consul, Mr. Sprague, will be 
found a most courteous gentleman, in case his services should 
be required. He is the third generation as regards the Amer- 



GIBRALTAR 67 

lean consulate in Gibraltar, his father, who served nearly half 
a century, being appointed by President Polk, and his grand- 
father having been appointed by President Jackson. The im- 
portance of our country being so well represented is obvious 
from the statement that 6,496 vessels in 1920 came into the 
harbour, and tens of thousands of Americans annually visit the 
Rock. 

Customs. — The Custom House examination takes place at the 
Harbour Gate. Firearms and liquors are prohibited and 
tobacco is heavily taxed. 

The question of custom house examinations here and else- 
where does not affect those who make the round trip on the same 
steamer in one of the cruises from the United States, which 
have in recent years become so popular. All purchases made 
in the various countries visited can be brought to the steamer, 
where there are facilities for storing articles in the hold. In 
such a case there will be no customs examination in any coun- 
tries through which the tourist passes, until he arrives at the 
United States Custom House. When people remain longer in 
Europe and return home on a later ship, the steamship com- 
pany will store trunks in European ports. It greatly complicates 
matters to send baggage in advance to United States ports. 

It may not be amiss to remind our American readers that the 
government permits each person to bring a hundred dollars 
worth of purchases into the country without the payment of 
duties. This does not include garments that have actually 
seen wear. In order to expedite matters at the Custom House 
on returning home, it will be well to keep a memorandum of all 
purchases, which should be *' declared'^ together with the 
prices paid, to the custom officers. It will save much annoy- 
ance and delay if this is carefully done. 

Another advantage of making the round trip on the same 
steamer is the fact that in nearly every case tourists have the 
privilege at seaport towns of returning to the ship every night 
to occupy their staterooms, and they thus avoid the necessity of 
packing and handling of baggage, as well as the expense of 



68 SPAIN 

hotels. This is not true in the Holy Land, Egypt or Rome, 
where the tourist management usually provides hotel accommo- 
dations. Persons, while at seaport places, who prefer to stay 
on shore at night instead of returning to the ship, can usually 
find good hotels, the prices at the best being about four or five 
dollars a day and upwards. 

RONDA 

As people who stop at Gibraltar sometimes take the trip to 
Ronda, it may be well to give it brief attention. 

The route is by steamboat from Gibraltar (Commercial Pier) 
to Algeciras, a town of 13,300 inhabitants, which came into 
prominence during the Moroccan Conference of the European 
Powers in April, 1906. A railroad then leads northward to 
Ronda 65 ^^ miles distance, gradually climbing the slopes of the 
Sierra de Ronda, going through many tunnels and crossing 
picturesque ravines past forests of cork trees, until the train ar- 
rives at Ronda 2,460 feet above the sea. 

Ronda was once a stronghold of the Moors but is now noted 
only for *' its bridge, its bull fights and its fair.*' It is built 
beside a chasm of the river Tajo, and the visitor looks down 
upon a sheer drop of 400 feet. Mountains encompass the town 
about, sbme of them more than a mile high. 

The deep chasm, at the bottom of which the river torrent 
finds its way, is only two hundred and thirty feet wide at its 
narrowest point, and here a single span bridge, the Puento 
Nuevo, is erected. The Mina, an underground staircase, de- 
scends to the bottom of the gorge, originally constructed by 
Christian slaves. Other attractions are the '' hanging gardens " 
on the edge of the ravine and the Bull Ring. The Hotel 
Reina Victoria and the Royal are good and the climate is most 
invigorating. 



NORTH AFRICA 

Including Tangier^ Algiers^ Tunis ^ Tripoli^ Etc. 
Statistical Information : — 

MOROCCO: — Sultan since 1912, Mulai Jusef. 
Government an Absolute Despotism, but France and 
Spain dominate. Six Ministers whose position is 
NOMINAL. Spain has zone, which includes Tangier, 

OF 10,000 square MILES. POPULATION OF FRENCH ZONE, 
5,400,000 WITH 221,500 SQUARE MILES. ThE CAPITALS 

ARE Fez, Tafilett, Marakesh and Rabat. Revenues 
(1921), £10,760,170. Expenditures, £10,759,952. 
Imports, £40,018,978. Exports, £10,755,002. Postal 
service under control of France and England. 
French currency used. 

ALGERIA: — Now integral part of France. Gov- 
ernor-General is M. Theodore Steeg. Area, 222,180 

SQUARE miles. POPULATION (1921), 5,8oO,000. IM- 
PORTS (1921), 1,932,249,000 FRANCS. Exports, 1,396,- 
752,000. French Roman Catholic Church has one 

ARCHBISHOP, TWO BISHOPS AND 386 PRIESTS. ThERE ARE 

13 Protestant ministers and 6 Rabbis, who also 

SHARE IN GOVERNMENT GRANTS. In I92O 1,298 PRIMARY 
SCHOOLS WITH 132,617 PUPILS AND 496 MuSSELMAN 

SCHOOLS WITH 35,578. Sixteen secondary schools and 

ONE UNIVERSITY AT ALGIERS. In I92I, 11,199 VESSELS 
ENTERED AND MERCANTILE MARINE CONSISTS OF 419 VES- 
SELS. 3,330 MILES OF RAILWAY, 72O POST-OFFICES AND 786 
TELEGRAPH STATIONS. 

TUNIS : — Area, 45,779 square miles. Population, 
2,093,939 IN 1921 ; City of Tunis, 170,381. Bey is Sidi 
MoHAMED. French Resident-General, Lucien Saint, 
is real ruler. Revenues (1921), £9,841,896. Ex- 
penditures, £9,840,178. Imports, £25,422,502. Ex- 
ports, £13,482,299. Railways, 2,493 miles. 319 pri- 
mary SCHOOLS WITH 44,5oo pupils. French army of 

OCCUPATION, 25,000 MEN. 

TRIPOLI :— Area, 406,000 square miles. Popula- 
tion, 1,000,000, 10% European. City of Tripoli, 
73,000. Imports (1920), £7,847,070. Exports, 
£2,523,889. Governed by Italy since October, 1912. 
Military force, 13,023 men. Railways, 163 miles. 

69 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

MOROCCO 
" North Africa and the Desert/' G. E. Woodberry. 

Scribner. 

'' In Morocco," E. N. Wharton. Scribner, 1920. 

*' Morocco, Its People and Palaces,'' E. de Amicis. 
Coates. 

'' The Land of the Moors,'' Budgett Meakin. Lon- 
don, 1 90 1. 

'' Morocco," Forest and Bensusar, London, 1904. 

*' Moorish Lotus Leaves," Cowan and Johnston, Lon- 
don. 

** The Moorish Empire," B. Meakin, London, 1899. 

ALGERIA 

" Aspects of Algeria," R, Devereux. Button, 1912. 

"Woman in the Sahara," H. C. Gordon. Stokes, '14. 

'' About Algeria and Algiers," C. Thomas-Stanford. 
Lane, 19 12. 

" The Barbary Coast," A. Bullard. Macmillan, 1913. 

'' In French Africa," M. B. Betham Edwards. Mc- 
Clurg, 1913. 

" The African Shores of the Mediterranean," C. 
F. Grant. McBride, 1912. 

'' Among the Hill Folk of Algeria," M. W. Hilton 
Simpson. Dodd, 1921. 

*' The Desert Gateway," S. H. Leader. Cassell, '10. 

'' Algeria and Tunis," F. E. Nesbit. Macmillan, 
1906. 

'' Algiers," M. E. Crouse. Pott, 1906. 

'* Among the Berbers of Algeria," A. W. Wilkin. 
Cassell. 

" In the Land of Mosques and Minarets," M. F. 
Mansfield. Page, 1908. 

''Algeria and Tunis," Sir R. L. Play fair (Murray's 
Handbook). 

TUNIS 

'' Fountains in the Sand," N. Douglas. Pott, 1912. 

" Ruined Cities of Northern Africa," R. Sturzen- 
becker. Dodd, 1919. 

*' Life and Letters in Roman Africa," E. S. Bou- 
chier. Putnam, 1912. 

'' Tunisia," Herbert Vivian, London, 1899. 

70 



I— TANGIER 

*'A fair and whited sepulchre^ full of dead men's bones** 

AS Tangier is only about three hours distance from 
Gibraltar, it is getting quite customary for tourists 
to make a short trip to this representative city of 
Spanish Morocco. 

MOROCCO 

The greater part of this vast region is quite unknown to 
tourists. A considerable portion of it consists of fertile plains 
occupied by Moorish tribes, where there is reasonably safe 
travelling ; but much the larger part consists of mountainous 
regions and desert plateaus occupied by the fierce Berbers, 
where brigandage and murder are rife, even the Moors of the 
plains being afraid to venture into these fastnesses. 

Northern Morocco is not unlike southern Spain in climate 
and products, and, while mines have scarcely begun to be de- 
veloped, it is believed that the mineral resources are quite as 
rich as those of Spain. In the plains, the date-palm, oranges, 
figs, olives, walnuts and pomegranates flourish with only a 
modicum of cultivation, and large harvests in wheat, barley, 
beans, grapes, and all manner of fruit could easily be raised. 
When the empire is opened to European enterprise and in- 
dustry, and the people are delivered from their bondage of 
oppression and lethargy, Morocco will become a considerable 
world factor. 

Morocco shares with Northern Africa the course of history 
in which successively the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Goths, 
and finally the hordes of Islam all played a part. There has 
been a rapid deterioration since the '* Golden Age'* of Mo- 
rocco in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The Moors 

71 



72 NORTH AFRICA 

seem to have lost even the spirit of daring that characterized 
it in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when Moorish 
piracy was carried on with a high hand, and thousands of 
Christians languished in hopeless bondage in its interior. 

England in 1662 held possession of Tangier, but through 
mismanagement and indifference, she lost this important foot» 
hold upon North Africa, and hence the history of Morocco is 
far less hopeful than it otherwise might have been. In recent 
^years, France and Spain, with the tacit agreement of Great 
Britain, have divided this great empire, France controlling 
imuch the greater portion of 221,500 square miles and 5,400,- 
000 population, but Spain having an area of 10,000 square 
miles, covering a zone extending 200 miles along the Mediter- 
ranean, including the cities of Tangier and Ceuta. Germany, 
before the war, strongly questioned this arrangement, but has 
now ceased to be a factor. It will be a signal advantage to 
have France and Spain control this territory, quelling Moorish 
^disturbances and hastening the march of civilization. 

As matters stood the government of Morocco could scarcely, 
by any stretch of the imagination, have been worse. The 
Sultan, even if he wished to give a good government, as cer- 
tainly the previous Sultan who died in 1894 seemed anxious to 
ido, was powerless to override the supremacy of the circle of 
Wazeers, who formed a sort of cabinet. The single article in 
their policy of government was spoils, and as a consequence 
oppression, bribery, injustice and plunder were the rule every- 
where, with a corresponding stagnation in commerce, educa- 
tion and every form of industry. The single fact that there 
was not a newspaper, a post-office, a hospital or an asylum of 
any kind in all Morocco, tells the whole story. 

Tangier shows the characteristic life of North Africa now 
quite plainly influenced by European enterprise, and these 
diverse conditions, although in part rude and repulsive, are 
certainly bizarre and fascinating. 

From a distance, Tangier shows to immense advantage, the 
white city lifting itself out of the ocean, and the combinatioA 



TANGIER 73 

of wooded hills, azure sky and sunlit sea together making a 
picture that artists love. Closer inspection of its filthy streets 
and the unsanitary life of its people tends decidedly to destroy 
the illusion. 

THE SIGHTS 

The principal place of interest is the Kasba, a combina- 
tion of the governor's palace, the citadel and the prison. A. 
part of the palace of the Bashaw, or governor, who is the rep- 
resentative of the Sultan of Morocco, is open to inspection. 

The lieutenant-governor can be seen at the Marsham Gate,. 
to the northeast of the Palace, dispensing justice (usually in- 
justice) at the so-called judgment seat, the effect being quite 
like a picture out of the ^^ Arabian Nights.'* The Prison, 
which is in the courtyard of the Kasba, is divided into two 
parts, the one for city criminals and the other for those of the 
surrounding country. In each case the prisoners are huddled 
together in one large interior court, the innocent and guilty, 
the old and young, those convicted of petty offenses and those 
guilty of the most desperate crimes. The country prison is 
three times as large as the other and has a number of brigands 
and murderers among the convicts. No provision is made as 
regards a supply of food for the prisoners, all being thrown 
upon the charity of their friends or of the public, except so 
far as they are able to earn a few farthings by platting palmetto 
grass into paniers used as donkey saddles. As a consequence, 
nearly all are in a state of semi-starvation, and undoubtedly 
a considerable percentage actually die from lack of food. 
Their condition is pitiful. 

The Soke, or Market-place presents a striking scene full 
of Oriental colour and animation. Sundays and Thursdays 
are the great market days when the entire populace seems to 
be in evidence. A great variety of wares is exposed for sale, 
including flour, nuts, butter, dates, fresh fruits, unappetizing- 
looking sweetmeats, as well as bundles of grass for the food of 
animals. It is the favourite resort of all sorts of fakirs, includ- 



74 NORTH AFRICA 

ing groups of musicians making barbaric noises on strange 
instruments, and snake charmers, who use poisonous reptiles in 
their performances and antidote the numerous bites with effica- 
cious plants. 

The Streets of the town are extremely filthy and noisome, 
alive with camels, donkeys, beggars, and lepers. The latter 
seem to have the right of way, and are not reassuring objects as 
they jostle tourists in the narrow streets. In spite of the fact 
that there is not a street wide enough for a vehicle, and that 
many of the streets are mere dark alleyways, they are entirely 
safe, even without guides. The Bazaars are not extensive 
and most of the goods are imported from various parts of 
Europe. Visitors can, however, visit the primitive looms and 
potteries, and brass-tray shops, and get articles of rather rude 
manufacture that are genuine. 

The Mosques are absolutely closed to all Christian ''infi- 
dels,** but all external evidence, as well as hearsay, indicates 
that the tourist loses very little by this prohibition. In fact 
there is not a single Moorish building in Tangier that could 
make the slightest claim to beauty. This gives a good idea of 
the deterioration of the Moors since those halcyon days 600 
years ago, when the Moors actually were far in advance of 
Christian Europe in architecture, science and culture. 

It is possible for ladies to be admitted to the Harem of a 
former governor by making a present of money or sweetmeats 
to the inmates. In the streets the Moorish women are heavily 
veiled, except those of the lowest classes and the Jewish and 
Spanish women. It is surprising to see the fair complexions 
combined with dark lustrous eyes of many of the children and 
young girls, often joined with a considerable degree of beauty. 
Owing to the fact that young girls are married at the immature 
age of ten or twelve years, and that their life is a program of 
drudgery and insufficient food, there is little evidence of charm 
left after they have reached the age of twenty-five or thirty. 
Even on the attractive faces of young children there is already 
stamped an expression of sadness and hopelessness. 



TANGIER 7s 

THE ENVIRONS 

While the town of Tangier is scarcely an inviting place for 
residence, there are a number of English people, as well as a 
few Americans, who have permanent homes of surpassing 
beauty in the surrounding hills, who live here on account of 
the fine climate which prevails not only during the winter and 
early spring, but even during the summer months. The climate 
is unusually equable in the summer, owing to the constant 
breezes from the sea. There are some cases of people who at- 
tain vigorous health here, to whom the Riviera and Southern 
Cahfornia had previously given little promise of recovery. 
There are many attractive homes of Europeans in the higher 
altitudes in the vicinity of Tangier. Mr. Ion Perdicaris, an 
American citizen, had a beautiful home here, and some 
years ago his remarkable capture by Moorish Berbers and 
his subsequent release through concession made to the brig- 
ands by the Moorish government attracted world-wide at- 
tention. 

Those having time for a day's excursion are advised to take 
the trip to the Spartel Lighthouse, visiting the ^^ Caves of 
Hercules " on the way. Horses or mules are necessary for this 
trip, and these can be obtained at a reasonable cost. The way 
at first leads through mountainous country affording beautiful 
views, but gradually comes out into a picturesque desolation of 
bold, rugged masses of rock. 

The Lighthouse at Cape Spartel is the only one in Morocco. 
It is set up in one of the most important locations for the safety 
of shipping that can be found in the world. Formerly scores 
of vessels, w^hich sought to enter the Straits of Gibraltar, 
perished on the rocks. It was long in dispute as to who should 
build the lighthouse upon this commanding site that now lights 
the entrance of the Mediterranean to more than 4,000 vessels 
each year. The Sultan declared that Morocco did not need 
the lighthouse as Morocco had neither ships nor commerce, 
and no single European power seemed ready to assume the 
expense of building and maintaining such a structure. The 



76 NORTH AFRICA 

Sultan at length made the proposition that if the Powers would 
design a lighthouse and maintain it after it was built, the gov- 
ernment of Morocco would bear the expense of its erection. 
This generous offer was quickly accepted, and as no limit was 
set to the cost, no expense was spared, and a magnificent struc- 
ture, equalled by few lighthouses in the world, was built. Each 
of eleven Powers of Europe contributes ^300 annually to its 
maintenance. The light is multiplied a hundredfold by power- 
ful reflectors, and is visible over a radius of more than twenty- 
five miles. 

RELIGION 

For some hundreds of years Franciscan Friars have carried 
on their work in Morocco, and there are a number of cases of 
martyrdom among them, but there seem to have been few 
permanent results. Protestant missions date from 1875, when 
the London Jewish Society began a small work. The Brit- 
ish AND Foreign Missionary Society began its efforts in 
1883, and a year later the North African Mission was estab- 
lished. The Mildmay Mission to the Jews has a small work 
in Tangier, and since 1891, the Gospel Union of Kansas City, 
has established its central station for Northern Morocco in this 
city. Results are extremely meagre, although good work has 
been done along educational and medical lines. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Steamers. — Regular steamer trips are made from Gibraltar 
on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and sometimes daily 
during the season. The distance is about thirty miles, the 
time three to four hours, and the fare is reasonable for cabin 
passage. 

Money. — Spanish money is current, but it is well to be sup- 
plied with Moorish money, which is convenient for very small 
purchases or for fees. One must guard against dishonest 
money changers. 

The Landing Tariff is reasonable, but landings are often 



ALGIERS yy 

difficult in bad weather. The only articles requiring the 
payment of duties are narcotics and firearms. Comfortable 
Hotels are the Continental, near the pier, and the Villa de 
France outside the town. There are three Post-offices, — 
British, French and Spanish. Morocco has no post-office of 
its own in all its dominions. Donkeys with a man can be 
hired for excursions and also horses at a higher rate. 



II— ALGIERS 

** Algiers is a diamond set in an emerald frame.^^ — Arab Proverb. 

FROM Gibraltar the course of Mediterranean Cruises 
usually leads 410 miles southeast to Algiers, which is 
the largest city in the province of Algeria. In reality, 
Algeria is made up of three provinces (of which Algiers is 
the central one), the whole having an area of 222,180 square 
miles, the entire distance along the Mediterranean being 600 
miles, and the inland territory extending from 100 to 250 
miles from the coast. While the interior is largely undevel- 
oped, with here and there a Moorish village or fortified camp, 
the palms and vineyards and orange groves around Algiers 
make it a very ^^ garden of the gods.'* 

HISTORY 

Algeria was conquered by the Romans in 46 b. c., and ac- 
cording to Pliny was regarded a valuable possession because of 
its fruitfulness. It was captured by the Vandals in 436 a. d. 
and by the Arabs in 690. Princes of Arab blood reigned over 
the northwest coast until the end of the twelfth century. The 
coast of Barbary became the dread of every Mediterranean 
cruiser. '* They were friends to the sea and enemies to alL 
that sailed thereon.** 



78 NORTH AFRICA 

Spain took it upon herself to rid the seas of these pirates, 
whereupon Selim Entemi, the prince of Algeria, appealed for 
help to HoRic (called Barbarossa because of his red beard), 
the most powerful leader among the pirates of the Levant. He 
came and was received by Selim with open arms. Horic, how- 
ever, caused Selim to be assassinated and proclaimed himself 
King. Selim' s Arabian bride Zaphari repelled the advances 
of her husband's murderer, choosing self-destruction rather 
than submission. 

But Barbarossa fell in battle after a vain attempt to cope 
with Spain, and was succeeded by Hayridden his brother 
(also called Barbarossa), who was even more enterprising, 
although less cruel. In order to protect himself against Spain, 
he became a vassal of Solyman, the Grand Seignior of the 
Turks. With his cooperation he entered upon a series of vic- 
tories, but was completely defeated in 1535 by the army of 
Charles V. of Spain, and took refuge in the Turkish court. 

The piracy, however, under Hassan Aga, a Christian rene- 
gade, continued to be actively maintained. In 1541, Charles 
V. in person, with 140 ships and 30,000 chosen men, including 
the Knights of Malta and the chivalry of Spain, the entire 
expedition being consecrated by the Pope, proceeded against 
Algiers. The fleet was wrecked in a frightful storm near 
Algiers, and about a hundred ships were destroyed, and most 
of the army were killed or imprisoned by the Algerines. 
Charles V. himself barely succeeded in escaping with a remnant 
of his army. For a time '^ an onion was the price of a captive 
Spaniard," and the power of Spain was broken. 

A little later, France sought to humble Algeria, and after 
several fruitless efforts, a French fleet in 1652 abducted the 
Turkish Viceroy. In retaliation the Algerines swept the coast 
of France with fire and sword. As a return compliment, 
Louis XIV sent the celebrated Da Quesne, who with the aid 
of newly-invented bomb-vessels laid Algiers in ashes. 

The piratical expeditions, scarcely checked by this disaster, 
continued with unabated vigour, so that not only the European 



ALGIERS 79 

countries but even the young American Republic suffered 
from these depredations. An average price of ^3,000 per 
person was demanded for captured Americans, which President 
Washington refused to pay because he considered the price ex- 
orbitant. Certain concessions, however, were made, although 
it is difficult to reahze that in 1795 ^^is country paid 1^721,000, 
and even as late as 181 2 a payment of ^22,000 a year tribute 
was made in stores and munitions. 

The United States may claim the honor of being the first to 
throw off the degrading yoke of paying ransoms and tribute. 
In June 181 5, Commodore Decatur appeared before Algiers 
to give official notification to this effect, and to demand imme- 
diate release of all Americans held in slavery. The crafty 
Dey, impressed by the resolution of the Admiral, and recog- 
nizing that Algiers lay at the mercy of the American fleet, 
acceded to the demands, but asked that in order that he might 
not lose prestige with other nations, the United States should 
merely continue a nominal annual gift of some powder. But 
the sturdy Commodore grimly declared that *^ if the Dey took 
the powder, he must take the balls too,*' and the unwilling 
Dey, not rehshing the implied suggestion, had no resource left 
but to accept this new American Declaration of Independence. 

In 18 1 6, the Parliament of England took steps to make 
these African States observe the law of nations, and Lord 
Exmouth, after having been once deceived by false promises, 
nearly destroyed Algiers and brought the humbled Dey to 
terms, releasing 1,211 Christian slaves, and getting the abso- 
lute promise that slavery should cease. 

Still, it was not until 1830, when a French Army under 
General Bourmont routed a force of 40,000 men, Algeria thus 
becoming a French colony, that piracy and slavery really came 
to an end. It has not proved an easy or a valuable acquisition, 
for there has been a number of insurrections, notably the one 
under Abd-el-Kader, who was reverenced by the Arabs as a 
Moses of deliverance. The surrender of their leader in 1848 
gave the final blow to Turkish rebellion, although colonization 



8o NORTH AFRICA 

has continued difficult because of the theft and incendiarism of 
the Arabs. A strict mihtary rule was maintained until 1870, 
when General Chanzy was made the first Governor-General in 
a new form of government which was placed upon a civil basis. 

DESCRIPTION 

The View of Algiers from the bay, with its terraces of 
dazzling white, and the emerald hills in the background blend- 
ing wath the purplish haze and the azure sea, together makes a 
picture never forgotten. The city is set in a shrine of green, 
and there are many fine avenues of trees in modern Algiers, 
and palms, orange, plane and pepper -trees are everywhere in 
evidence. Back of the city about two miles to the east is 
MusTAPHA SuPERiEUR, the beautiful residence suburb with its 
fine modern hotels and its villa terraces embowered in floral 
splendour. Thirty miles distant is Mt. Atlas, the highest 
peak in all that region, although this is not the Atlas with ^^its 
head in the clouds and its feet in the sands,' ' of which the 
poet speaks, the latter being in Morocco. 

The city is composed of two distinct parts, of which the 
lower is French Algiers, as gay and modem as Paris itself, 
fronted by the Boulevard de la Republique, 3, 700 feet long, 
and costing ^15,000,000. Beginning at the Place du Gov- 
ernment, the finest square in Algiers, and forming a promenade 
overlooking the sea almost through its entire length, this Bou- 
levard makes a most noble and impressive picture. About 
half-way it enters the Place Bresson, a fine public garden, 
and extends to Fort Bab-Azoun (Gate of Sorrows). A tram- 
way runs the entire length of the Boulevard de la Republique. 
Most of the fine French shops are on this Boulevard and on 
the Rue Bab-Azoun, which is next to it. 

A startling contrast to the French district is the Arab Al- 
giers, which rises to the west of the Place du Governement. 
The tall windowless houses facing defiles, too narrow and steep 
to be accessible to vehicles, give an Oriental picture that is not 
surpassed by any city in the East. The steepness of the streets.. 



ALGIERS 8i 

forming an unbroken series of steps, may be judged from the 
fact that there are over 500 steps before reaching the eminence 
where the Kasba stands. This Arab quarter is certainly the 
chief place of interest in Algiers, and deserves careful study in 
spite of the fact that it is none too cleanly and fragrant. It is 
the Orient in all the primitive conditions of five hundred years 
ago. The strangely costumed people, the narrow alleys so 
dark that at times one is almost compelled to feel one's way, 
the booths facing the streets along their entire fronts, the peo- 
ple doing their buying and selling, their eating and sleeping, 
their praying and gambling in full public view, all make a 
most unique and striking picture. 

It should be said to the credit of the French Administra- 
tion that the streets are perfectly safe for strangers, and even 
for women visitors unaccompanied by guides. No attention 
should be paid to the clamouring crowd volunteering their 
services as guides, as they talk no English, and are almost sure 
to make extortionate demands for money. The presence of a 
French soldier will make them disperse in haste, and a refusal 
to listen to their importunities will soon cause them to desist. 
In spite of the crooked and tortuous streets which seem so com- 
plicated that a tourist declared he met himself five times in 
trying to find his way, there is no danger in being lost, as all 
the paths finally converge at the Kasba at the summit, and 
coming down the hill, every defile finally emerges into the 
French quarter. 

The Arab town is rapidly diminishing, as many as 300 of 
the old houses having been destroyed in one year. In a com- 
paratively fev/ years Algiers will be a modern French city, 
which will be a great advantage so far as civilization and sani- 
tation are concerned, but much of its characteristic glamour 
will have disappeared. 

PIRACY 

There are still some genuine Algerian pirates in the way of 
cab-drivers, who while driving are experts at killing time, but 



82 NORTH AFRICA 

who can find many pretexts for overcharging, and are voluble 
in demanding their excessives fares. An appeal to a French 
police officer or soldier soon brings them to terms. People 
who stop at the French or German hotels also find that the 
proprietors are not far behind in extortionate rates. 

It seems almost incredible as one looks at the cowed and 
stupid and lazy Arabs of to-day that a hundred years ago their 
forefathers held the whole civilized world in terror. The 
ghastly extent of Algerian piracy will be best understood by 
the statement that altogether 3,000 vessels fell into the hands 
of these cruel ruffians. In six years (i 674-1 680) England 
alone lost 350 ships and had 6,000 of her subjects enslaved. 
In the middle of the sixteenth century Cervantes, the great 
Spanish writer, was a slave in Algiers for almost six years, and 
some of his experiences are reflected in his Don Quixote. A 
place near the Jardin d'Essai where he was hidden at the time 
he made his escape, is still shown. 

In the year 1793, there were 115 American slaves in Algiers, 
and Benjamin Franklin on his death-bed kept appealing for 
their emancipation. It is hard to realize that a hundred 
years ago the Dey and his bloodthirsty pirates had complete 
sway of the Mediterranean, and that the only American and 
European residents in Algiers were slaves who worked in chain- 
gangs. It is estimated that over 600,000 Christian people 
have suffered the nameless horrors and atrocities of Algerian 
bondage, of whom only the smallest proportion ever escaped or 
were ransomed. These represented every nation, and every 
rank from the humblest seamen to scientists and noblemen of 
the realm, and worst of all, delicately nurtured women and 
children. This piracy is the ^^ Chamber of Horrors" of hu- 
man history ! 

THE PEOPLE 

The first impressions of Algerian natives which the tourist 
gets are from the sailors and boatmen in connection with the 
tenders or boats used in landing. They are certainly a pirat- 



ALGIERS 83 

ical and cutthroat-looking gang, decidedly picturesque yet 
anything but clean. Although they are the descendants of 
pirates, they are not adepts at managing a boat. A more ut- 
terly stupid and incompetent set of men never sailed the sea 
than the present-day Algerian boatmen. 

The population of Algeria in 1921 was 5,800,000. Algiers 
has 138,708 (including suburbs), of whom two-thirds are Euro- 
pean. There are several distinct types of native population : 
the Moors, of mixed Spanish and Arabian pedigree, who have 
greatly degenerated, being mostly beggars and petty labourers ; 
the Arabs or Bedouins, who also look like a conquered race, 
being stolid and squalid and quite often afflicted with disfigur- 
ing ophthalmia ; the Kalougis, who are descendants of Turks 
by native women, of whom the number is not large ; and the 
Kabeles, who form the largest part of the native population. 
The last mentioned are from the mountains, and hence are a 
pure race, showing traces of Greek and Roman elements in 
complexion and laws, and even of the Christian customs of the 
early centuries. Their character lends itself to social progress, 
they being industriously engaged in gardening and artisan em- 
ployments. The Jews are the most powerful factor in trade, 
and there are many shops presided over by long-bearded sons 
of Abraham who are adepts in selling Algerian curios (made in 
Paris) to unsuspecting strangers. 

Taken as a whole, the streets of Algiers show a striking 
panorama of motley Oriental peoples, with the extremes of the 
most cultured French life contrasting strangely with the vaga- 
bondage of the desert. 

It may be hoped that tourists may be fortunate enough to 
see Mohammedan Pilgrims embarking for their pilgrimage to 
Mecca. They go as far as the Arabian Gulf by water, and 
from there they walk to Mecca. There are usually several 
thousand huddled in each of the small vessels used for their 
transportation, and ordinarily many die on the journey both 
on the vessels and amid the frightful unsanitary conditions so 
prevalent in Mecca. But this fact does not deter others from 



84 NORTH AFRICA 

seeking to carry out the great ambition which burns in the 
breast of every Mohammedan, namely to be a pilgrim to the 
holy shrine of Mecca. The contrast between modern Ameri- 
can tourists on their way to Jerusalem and these survivors of 
mediaeval conditions on their journey to their sacred city, is 
certainly startling, and is a wonderful commentary on the su- 
periority of Christian civilization. 

Since 1865, all natives have been permitted to become 
French citizens by placing themselves under the civil law of 
France, and they are then admitted to all grades of army, 
navy and civil service positions. 



PLACES OF INTEREST 

The most striking object on approaching the city is the great 
Mole of the Penon, which formed the ancient harbour. 
Originally a Spanish fort, it was connected with the mainland 
by a Mole (a stone break- water) which took 30,000 Christian 
slaves three years to build. 

The Kasba, which is the Citadel and Palace of the Deys 
(open till 4 p. M., fee one franc to soldier guide), is situated on 
the highest point of the city, and was the treasure stronghold 
of the Algerian princes. One Dey had at one time ;£i2,- 
000,000 in it, and the French conquerors found 50,000,000 
francs therein. The building is now in ruins, little remaining 
except the central court and throne-room. The court is paved 
with white marble, and is surrounded with arched galleries. 
The chair, on which the heads of Christian slaves were exposed, 
is still shown. To the right is the pavilion where the last Dey 
(Hussein) rudely and imperiously struck the French Consul 
with a fan, an act which undoubtedly led to the conquest of 
Algeria by France. 

The building now used for the Public Library and Mu- 
seum (open one to six except Thursday and Sunday) was for- 
merly the palace of Mustapha Pasha, and is an excellent example 
of Moorish architecture. The Roman and Arabian antiquities 




A CAFE IN ALGIERS 



1 



ALGIERS 85 

and manuscripts have comparatively little interest. The most 
striking object is a gruesome plaster cast of the Christian 
martyr Geronimo writhing in death. He was martyred in 
1569 by being put alive into a block of concrete, which was 
afterwards built into the wall of a fort. A Spanish writer, 
named Haedo, describes the martyrdom in a book on Algeria 
published in 161 2, in which he locates the exact place where 
the block of concrete could be found. The story was believed 
to have little or no foundation, but in 1853, when the walls of 
this particular fort were being torn down, the block was found 
in the exact spot mentioned, containing a perfect mould of 
the martyr's face and figure, showing even the cords with which 
his hands and feet had been bound. By filling the cavity with 
plaster of paris, the model now shown in the Museum was 
prepared. 

There were formerly 166 Mosques in Algiers, most of which 
have disappeared, so that now only twenty-one are used for 
prayer. These do not compare with the mosques which can 
be seen in Constantinople and Cairo, and yet as the tourist 
visiting Algiers usually has not had much opportunity of visit- 
ing mosques, he will be apt to find several of them quite in- 
teresting. 

The most conspicuous is the Mosque el Kebir (the Grand), 
standing near the beautiful Place du Governement. This is the 
oldest in Algeria, and is a fine example of Arabian architecture. 
Within there is a courtyard containing a fountain used for the 
required ablutions of Mohammedan worshippers, and the entire 
courtyard is surrounded with arcaded galleries supported by 
richly carved marble columns. It is quite common in this and 
other mosques in the Orient to see Arab scribes copying the 
Koran. It is a proof of their fidelity to their religion that they 
are rarely tempted to dispose of copies or portions of the Koran 
to the hated infidel. 

The Mosque el Jadid (the New Mosque) is most pic- 
turesquely located in the midst of the fascinating Marabout 
quarter, and is attractive because of its novel architecture, 



86 NORTH AFRICA 

especially its beautiful horseshoe arches of fine white marble. 
This mosque contains the decorated tomb of the holy Sidi 
Abd-er-Rahman, as well as the tombs of several other Deys and 
Pashas. It is a favourite spot for pilgrimages, and hence there 
is always a crowd of beggars and blind pilgrims, who clamour 
vociferously for alms. The mosque is surrounded by a quaint 
garden, which helps to give it a distinct charm. 

The Mosque de la Pecherie has Httle interest save the un- 
usual fact that it was built in the form of a Greek cross. The 
story goes that the Christian architect was killed for having 
dared to introduce the emblem of his faith into a Mohammedan 
place of worship. 

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Philippe has a 
rather impressive exterior, and contains some fine Arab tracery 
work and mosaics. 

The Governor-General's Palace and the Archbishop's 
Palace are both excellent examples of Arab architecture, 
having been residences of the Deys in the old regime. The 
impression, however, is rather cheap and tawdry, because of 
the excess of inartistic ornamentation. 

The Fort de l'Empereur, named after Charles V, is just 
behind the Kasba. It was built in 1545, and is now in a ruin- 
ous condition, although a part is still used as a prison. The 
Fort Bab-Azoun at the southern end of the Boulevard, and 
Fort Neuf on the northern coast are also used as prisons. 
Evidently, the French know how to deal with the criminal ele- 
ments of the city. French fortifications of the most modern 
kind extend from the Kasba both in a northeast and in a south- 
east direction. 

The Jardin Marengo is the finest public garden in Algiers, 
and it is noted for the views which it affords. It contains a 
column erected to the honour of Napoleon Bonaparte, contain- 
ing a list of his victories. The Jardin d'Essai, outside of the 
city, which was begun in 1832, contains fine specimens of 
tropical and sub-tropical plants, together with palms and aloes 
and orange groves. There is also a permanent exhibition of 



ALGIERS 87 

Algerian products and p«a.nfcs. The garden contains a small 
enclosure for ostriches. 

The fanatical religious Dances of the Aissaoui in the 
native quarter, which are accompanied with gouging the eyes, 
searings of hot iron, piercing the cheeks with daggers, and the 
eating of cacti and live hzards, have a certain weird fascina- 
tion, although it takes strong nerves to witness them. Usually 
various forms of Oriental dances accompany this exhibition, 
which do not make these occasions acceptable to refined people. 

A visit to Algiers would not be complete if it did not include 
a ride through Mustapha Superieur, the beautiful suburb. 
In large part this can be done by trolley cars, with the ad- 
vantage of usually finding some one who can speak EngHsh, or 
a party of two or three can secure a carriage for the trip for 
a few francs. In any event, a stop should be made at the 
Governor's Summer Palace, the grounds of which contain 
some statues, notably that of Marshal MacMahon facing the 
gateway. The grounds are beautiful beyond description and 
the palace contains some interesting objects of Moorish art. 

A drive to the Cathedral of the Notre Dame d'Afrique 
to the East of Algiers, where each Sunday afternoon an im- 
pressive service is held for those who have perished at sea, is 
also charming. The church itself stands on a commanding 
prominence, and has an impressive exterior, but there is little 
of interest within. 

RELIGION 

^^ Africa, not Rome, gave birth to Latin Christianity. *' 
Tertullian in the second century, Cyprian in the third, and 
Augustin in the fourth are the stalwarts of the early Church, 
and they all belong to North Africa. The oldest Latin transla- 
tion of the Bible (the basis of Jerome's Vulgata) was made in 
Africa, and Latin theology with Tertullian as its father and 
Augustin as its crowning glory was an African product. See 
Schaff's '^ Church History," Vol. II, pp. 26 ff., and Vol. Ill, pp. 
988 ff. 



88 NORTH AFRICA 

The success of the early Church in Africa was phenomenal. 
Milman states that at the Council of Carthage, a. d. 253, there 
were no fewer than eighty-seven bishops present and an equal 
number of presbyters. There were 580 sees between Cyrene 
and the Atlantic. 

The last Bishop of Hippo was Augustin, who died in the 
third month of the siege of this walled city by the Vandals. 
With its fall came the complete desolation which turned this 
fair garden of early Christianity into a barren wilderness. It 
is not easy to see why Providence permitted this unspeakable 
calamity, unless it was to give an object lesson for all time of 
the infinite superiority of Christianity. 

There are at present in Algiers four Catholic Churches, an 
English Church of the Holy Trinity with its many me- 
morial tablets and inscriptions dating back as far as 1580, a 
Presbyterian Church (at Mustapha), a station of the London 
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews, 
together with six advanced schools, an Episcopal Seminary, and 
a number of day schools. There are about 10,000 Protestants 
in Algeria, 400,000 Catholics, and the rest are Mohammedans. 
All the religions in Algeria are included in the government grants, 
the total amounting to 1,377,455 francs, of which 97,000 francs 
are given to twenty-one Protestant pastors. The North African 
Mission has six stations in Algeria, and fifty missionaries in 
Algeria, Tunis and Morocco. It certainly should be the effort 
of the Church of Christ to redeem this its once fair heritage. 

In Education, progress is being made in Algeria. There 
are 3,051 classes with 142,121 pupils, of whom 61,024 ^^^ 
French, 15,229 Jewish, and 25,629 Mohammedans. There is 
a University at Algiers with 890 students (1902). The total 
government expense for education is 5,691,603 francs. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Money. — The money in use is the French currency, the 
standard being the franc, equal to twenty cents. 

Shops. — There are many fine shops which compare well with 



ALGIERS 89 

those of the principal towns of France. The prices asked are 
always in excess of the regular price, so that sharp bargaining 
is necessary, especially in stores in which the proprietors are 
Jews or Arabs. It is not easy to get genuine Oriental goods, 
and most of the embroideries are made in France and Germany. 
Where there are rugs of genuine Arab manufacture, it is well to 
avoid brilliant reds, blues and yellows, as these will not hold 
their colour as well as the duller hues. 

Beggars. — It is not wise to give alms to street beggars, as 
the charitably disposed person who begins to give alms is pes- 
tered beyond endurance. It is much better ^to give a lump 
sum to the society known as the Bureau de Bienfaisance, or 
to some minister or missionary who has opportunity to know 
of genuine cases where charity can be worthily bestowed. This 
is true throughout the Orient. 

Climate. — Algiers is one of the most popular of all the 
Mediterranean health-resorts. It is well, however, to carry a 
light wrap for evening use. 

Cabs. — The usual price for a party of three or four is five 
francs per hour, although it is wise to strike a bargain in ad- 
vance. Outside the city the price is six or seven francs. 

Language. — French is the prevailing language, and a work- 
ing acquaintance is extremely useful. 



Ill — ALGIERS TO TRIPOLI 

Including Constantine, Biskra and Tunis 

A GREAT many Mediterranean travellers now include 
a railway trip from Algiers to Constantine, then 
southward to Biskra and return, and then from Con- 
stantine to Tunis. While none of the towns except Tunis 
offer any remarkable sights, the scenery is attractive and in 
some places impressive, and an excellent opportunity is offered 
to study the life of the people in the interior. 



90 NORTH AFRICA 

The railroad from Algiers to Setif goes through an increas- 
ingly romantic mountainous region of Kabylia. Everywhere 
there are magnificent roads built by the French which show 
that they have come to stay, and that they are willing to pay 
immense sums for the development of the country in order to 
keep in touch with the remotest part of their domain. 

It is quite common, instead of going straight to Setif, to turn 
to the left to Bougie, and from there take a carriage to Setif 
through the famous Gorge of Chabet, which offers the most 
stupendous scenery in North Africa and compares favourably 
with the gorges in the Alps and in the Rocky Mountains. 
This ^'Valley of Death" is hardly more than 300 feet wide 
and about five miles long, but its perpendicular walls reaching 
nearly a mile on either side give an effect that is overpowering, 
and the darkness of the night seems to be settling at noonday 
upon the traveller. There is a magnificent road with a great 
bridge through this vast abyss that cost ^300,000 and many 
lives to build. 

Setif is a town of 14,000 inhabitants, unimportant except 
as regards its military value. It was a Roman stronghold, but 
according to St. Augustine, it was entirely destroyed by an 
earthquake in 419 a. d., and hence has no Roman remains. 
It has been entirely rebuilt and strongly fortified by the French. 

The railroad beyond Setif goes through a fertile region with 
many bits of smiling landscape, but gradually these grow 
fewer and soon the scene becomes desolate and the occasional 
black tents of the Arabs, with their surrounding cluster of 
goats and children, are the only signs of habitation. 

Some distance from Constantine, a branch road turns south 
to Biskra, passing through Batna, which is a fortified town 
with some fine ruins and magnificent forests. In Lambessa 
and Timegad which are near Batna, there are immense ruins 
showing that these places were among the greatest Roman cities 
in North Africa. 

The Pass of El Kantara, through which the railroad 
passes, forty miles before reaching Biskra, is quite famous, and 



ALGIERS TO TRIPOLI 91 

is a magnificent gateway opening into the boundless desert, 
introduced by a grove of 15,000 palm trees. 

BISKRA 

After passing through some miles of bleak desert, the traveller 
comes into the handsome station of Biskra, the Queen of the 
Oases, which is one of the greatest health resorts in the world, 
surpassing even Algiers and the Riviera on account of the 
absence of ail mists and fogs. The newer parts of the town 
are well paved, having fine shops and squares. The people, 
the architecture, and the music from a French band, almost lead 
the tourist to imagine that he is in a provincial town of France. 
But a few steps into Old Biskra with its Arab and negro 
quarters completely reverses the picture, which here displays 
all the elements of the savage and barbaric life of Africa. It 
is the unregenerate life of the desert, seemingly untouched by 
the influence of French enterprise and civilization. 

In the Market-place are the dates, gums, spices, leopard 
skins, ostrich feathers and Soudanese ivory, which form the 
choicest of African products. The former pirates of the desert 
that crowd these filthy quarters, while unresponsive to the new 
influences brought by their conquerors, are now cowed into 
submission, the picture of stolid apathy. 

To those who can tarry in Biskra for some time there are some 
novel experiences, such as races by the Bedouins, camel races, 
ostrich races, or perhaps a hunting party with trained falcons. 

The great show place is the estate, open to the public, of 
Comte Landon de Longueville, in which there is a fine Botan- 
ical Garden of tropical plants and trees, laid out in exquisite 
taste. Planted upon the very edge of the desert, its luxuriant 
beauty stands out in marvellous contrast to its sterile environ- 
ment. Biskra is in the heart of a remarkable oasis, in which 
nearly 200,000 date palms are flourishing, which furnish the 
chief materials for the various industries of the town. 

Several miles northwest of the town is the hot-spring fountain 
of La Fontaine Chaude, the sulphurous water having a 



92 NORTH AFRICA 

temperature of no degrees Fahrenheit. Here a comfortable 
bathing estabhshment has been erected, the water having 
proved to be a specific against rheumatism. 

The special excursion of interest is to the Tomb of Sidi 
Okba, the warrior who, only sixty years after Mohammed, 
carried the tenets of Islam into all of North Africa, from Egypt 
to Morocco. He occupies a place in the veneration of Mo- 
hammedans only second to the Prophet himself, his burial-place 
having been an African Mecca to pious pilgrims for 1,200 
years. The mosque over his tomb is the oldest in Africa. 
Surely, as Dr. H. M. Field suggests, this man was like Attila, a 
veritable Scourge of God, to all of Northern Africa, where once 
the high civilization of Rome held sway, and where the Church 
of Christendom was rocked in its cradle by such men as Ter- 
tuUian, Origen, Cyril, Cyprian and Augustin. He ushered in 
a night that has settled over this fair region for over a thousand 
years, and which still remains one of the darkest spots on earth. 
The wretched people that live in the mud hovels around the 
Tomb give evidence that Islam has brought its greatest curse 
upon its own followers, utterly enervating the proud Arab and 
Moorish stock that once had the promise of a strong and noble 
race. 

It is wonderfully impressive in these neighbourhood excur- 
sions to see the great Sahara, the enemy and sepulchre of all 
life. Here extending to the east and west and south is a very 
Continent of Death as large as Europe, a great barrier that 
seems to shut out the interior of Africa from the uplifting in- 
fluences that Christian enterprise is bringing from the north. 

The way back from Biskra to Constantine seems like coming 
out of the dark into the light, in view of its gradual return into 
life and beauty. 

CONSTANTINE 

Constantine is indeed a city set upon a hill, isolated by the 
deep goi^e that surrounds it until it seems to be suspended and 
islanded in air. It is suggestive of Jerusalem as seen from the 



ALGIERS TO TRIPOLI 93 

Valley of Hinnom, except that the rugged heights of Constan- 
tine are on a vastly greater scale. A more magnificent natural 
fortress could scarcely be imagined. 

It has been a stronghold from time immemorable. Here the 
brother-in-law of Hannibal ruled and here was the refuge of 
Jagurtha until he was overcome by Marius and dragged to 
Rome and starved to death in the Tullian (Mamertine) prison. 
Here Sallust was governor, and the site of his house, as well 
as of his gardens which have been identified by an inscription, 
is still pointed out. It has been besieged and taken at least 
twenty-five times, the last time by the French in 1837. 

Constantine is a city of 41,138 people (in 1901), and pre- 
sents the usual striking admixture of the Orient and Occident, 
which seem as hard to fuse into each other as oil and water. 
The General's Palace, the public apartments of which are 
open for inspection, is worth a visit, and the Cathedral con- 
tains a fine pulpit of Arab workmanship. There is a Museum 
of some interest containing Roman remains. 

The great surrounding ravine called the Rummel is the most 
picturesque of sights, as the town is located a full thousand feet 
above the ravine. A pathway to the bottom leads past several 
natural caves and magnificent waterfalls, all of which tend to 
emphasize the grandeur of the effect. Over the great gorge 
there is a single bridge, called the Bridge of the Devil, in 
view of the dizzy chasm which yawns below. 

Continuing the railroad trip to Tunis, there are some long 
tunnels among the mountains, the road being a remarkable 
piece of engineering. 

TUNIS 

Tunis is the capital of Tunisia, a country not unlike ad- 
jacent Algeria in climate and natural resources. It was much 
more prominent than Algeria in ancient history on account of 
having the mighty city of Carthage within its borders. It is 
richer in Roman remains than almost any part of Italy of the 
same area. After its final conquest by the Romans, not only 



94 NORTH AFRICA 

Carthage but other cities were fortified and adorned, and dur- 
ing the early Christian centuries, it was the stronghold of the 
Christian Church. Here the Church Fathers wrote their works, 
and here Cyprian, Jocundus, Perpetua and other Christians 
were martyred. In 439 it fell into the hands of the Vandals, 
followed in later years by the Berbers or Moors. For centuries 
it was also an active piratical nation. Here Charles V. liberated 
10,000 slaves in 1535, and as many as 20,000 were believed to 
be captive here in 1655, when the pirate fleet was destroyed 
by Blake. 

In 1 88 1, the French Government, on the pretext of 
having conquered some border ruffians, placed all of Tunisia 
under its protectorate, giving the Bey of Tunis just two hours 
to accept the conditions imposed. The Bey afterwards became 
a retired gentleman, living in his palace in the greatest luxury. 
Tunis is now ruled by a resident French Minister, who is re- 
sponsible to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in France. While 
this French seizure was certainly a high-handed procedure, 
Macaulay was quite right in saying that the worst Christian 
government is better than the best Moslem government. 
France has brought new hope into Tunis, introducing agricul- 
ture, commerce, education and justice, so that a brighter future 
lies before it. The unexpected act of France has, however, 
caused somewhat strained relations between France and Italy, 
the latter also having coveted Tunis, and owing to her prox- 
imity having felt that she had the first claim. 

Aside from the new French quarter, Tunis is a typical Ori- 
ental city. In the French Quarter, attractive buildings, 
lighted streets and good modern hotels can be seen. The 
Avenue de la Marine separates the French from the Arab 
section. Owing to the fact that France has controlled Tunisia 
such a short time, and because her methods have been less 
revolutionary, there have been far fewer changes in Tunis than 
in Algiers. 

Tunis is located in a low plain, and hence does not show 
such picturesque effects from a distance. It is however a great 



ALGIERS TO TRIPOLI 9^ 

Oriental city, the third largest in Africa, exceeded in popula- 
tion only by Cairo and Alexandria. 

The Bazaars are nearly as large and quite as varied as those 
of Cairo or Damascus. A larger proportion of the goods are 
genuine Oriental wares than is apt to be the case in Tangier or 
Algiers. Tunis manufactures a great variety of native textiles, 
and its work in brass, in leather, in embroideries, in carpets 
and in various kinds of weapons, is typical and genuine. 
Many of its articles are literally made upon the premises 
''while you wait." 

The Mosques are not open to non-believers. The Kasbah 
or citadel and the town palace of the Bey should be visited. 
A much more interesting palace is the Bardo, a short distance 
from town, which contains some elaborate and exquisite deco- 
rations quite suggestive of the Alhambra. The looking-glass 
ceiling and the judgment-hall are especially noteworthy. 

In the great hall is the Musee Alaoui, where the Roman 
mosaic from Susa, the largest and finest in the world, repre- 
senting Neptune surrounded by other Deities, may be seen. 
Ancient Roman as well as later Christian inscriptions are 
abundant, and there are some specimens of modern Tunisian 
art. 

There is in Tunis an English Church, with a Memorial 
Window to Payne, the author of ''Home, Sweet Home," 
who died here in 1852, while serving as American Consul. 
His remains were later taken back to the United States. 

The natural harbour of Tunis was some seven miles away, 
making commerce a most expensive and laborious procedure. 
French enterprise immediately set to work to build a great Ship 
Canal, bringing all ships drawing less than twenty feet of water 
to the wharves of Tunis itself. 

An excursion should be taken to ancient Carthage. Be- 
sides some modern buildings and churches, there is a Museum 
with many Roman and Carthagenian remains and inscriptions. 
Of Carthage itself there is almost nothing showing, except 
some of the broken arches of the great Roman Aqueduct, and 



96 NORTH AFRICA 

especially the remains of the Christian Church. This latter 
was of immense size with nine naves, the floors being literally 
paved with epitaphs. Its remains are almost the only evidence 
of the time when the See of Carthage contained nearly three 
hundred churches. 

TRIPOLI 

Tripoli, which covers the general district between Tunisia 
and Egypt, is now an Italian province, having passed into the 
hands of Italy in October, 1912, and hence is now showing some 
progress. Except a strip of fertile land along the coast and 
some inland oases, it is practically desert, and scarcely offers a 
tempting prize. Its history is much the same as that of other 
North African States to which reference has already been made, 
namely, the story of Moslem conquest and piracy and subse- 
quent degradation. 

The fact that the city of Tripoli offers the only good harbour 
for a distance of 700 miles, makes it a natural mercantile port, 
and it does a considerable trade in ostrich feathers, ivory and 
other African products. The town, with its 73,000 inhabit- 
ants, has all the fascination of an Arab community untouched 
by modern civilization, and its streets, market-places and ba- 
zaars have perennial attraction. A short distance away is a 
community of negroes from beyond the Sahara who live in 
rude shelters of cane, exactly as they were wont to do in their 
own land. 

A splendid Triumphal Arch, erected in honour of Marcus 
Aurelius the philosopher, and dating from 164 a. d., graces 
the town and there are some other ancient remains. There are 
few excursions to be taken, and as it is impossible to get per- 
mission for any extensive overland travel, comparatively little 
is known of the interior. 



MALTA 



Statistical Information 

Total area of Islands, ii8 square miles. Popula- 
tion (1920), 224,859. 

Under Malta Constitution of 1921 there is an 
ELECTED Senate of 17 members and an Assembly of 
32 members. Certain '' reserved " matters covering 
essential control is dealt with under the gov- 
ERNOR Field Marshal Lord Plumer and his Execu- 
tive Council. English is the official language, but 
Maltese is taught in the schools and Italian is 
used in the law courts. 

Revenues (1920) were £650,489 and Expenditures 
£632,233. No direct taxes are levied on Maltese; 
nq contributions are necessary from the british 
Go\^rnment. Savings Bank Deposits (1920), £786,- 
980, averaging over £3 per inhabitant. 

The Imports (1920) were £5,789,426; Exports, 
£1,602,294. Chief products are wheat, barley, po- 
tatoes, FRUITS, COTTON. ChIEF MANUFACTURES ARE 

lace, filigree cotton weaving and cigarettes. 
Chief industries, farming and fishing. 

In 1920, 1,519 VESSELS OF 1,893,850 tons entered. 
Railways, 8 miles. British money is legal tender. 
Notes of the Anglo-Maltese and Banco de Malta 
are in circulation. 

There are 102 public schools with 22,222 pupils, 

costing £33,310, 2 SECONDARY SCHOOLS, AND A UNI- 
versity with 6 faculties and 221 students. 

Malta was annexed to the British Empire in 
1814. It is a Mediterranean naval station for the 
British fleet with a very fine, although rather 
small harbour, a breakwater was constructed in 
1909. 

In 1920, 3,977 PERSONS OR nearly 2% of population 

WERE COMMITTED TO PRISON. 



97 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

" History of Malta/' W. Hardman. Longmans, 
1912. 

'' Knigi-its of St. John/' R. Park. Badger, 1912. 

'' Knights of Malta/' R. Cohen. Macmillan, 1921. 

'' Chronicles of Service Life in Malta/' Mrs. A. 
Stuart. Longmans, 1908. 

'' Malta and Knight Hospitallers/' W. Bedford. 
Macmillan. 

'' The Story of Malta/' M. M. Ballou. Houghton, 
1900. 

''Baedeker's Southern Italy (and Malta)." 

*' A History of the Knights of Malta/' Gen'l W. 
Porter, London, 1883. 

'' Travels in Malta and Sicily/' A. Bigelow, Boston, 

1831. 

*' Malta Past and Present/' Rev. H. Seddall, Lon- 
don. 

" Knights of St. John/' Anna M. Porter. 

'' A Voice from Malta/' M. A. Mizzi, Malta, 1896. 

*' Notes of a Naturalist on Malta/' A. S. Adams, 
Edinburgh, 1870. 

" Guide to the Laws and Regulations of Malta/' 
G. A. Page, Malta, 1892. 



98 



MALTA 

" Thejiower of the world J "* — Maltese Saying. 

MALTA has been so closely identified with war, his- 
torical romance and Biblical history, and has so 
much that is characteristic and unique, that tourists 
will find their visit here most profitable and enjoyable. 

HISTORY 

According to the popular myth, Malta was once possessed 
by a race of giant Cyclops, '' half human, half divine." Here 
also is supposed to have lived the nymph Calypso, the daugh- 
ter of Atlas, and the enslaver of Odysseus, and her cave is 
still pointed out in all seriousness. In historical times, Malta 
was first occupied by the Phoenicians, was conquered by the 
Romans 259 b. c, by the Vandals 534 a. d., by the Arabs in 
870, granted by Charles V. to the Knights of St. John in 1530, 
taken by Napoleon in 1800, and surrendered to England in 
the same year. 

THE KNIGHTS 

The Knights of St. John, better known as the Knights of 
Malta, have a most romantic and remarkable history. In 
1048 some merchants from Malfi, trading in the Levant, ob- 
tained leave of the Caliph of Egypt to build a house in Jerusa- 
lem for pilgrims. Afterwards they built a hospital, which ac- 
counts for the name of ** Hospitallers '^ by which they are some- 
times known. They were confirmed as a Military Order by the 
Pope in 1 1 13, and six years later defeated the Turks at Anti- 
och. They removed to Acre in Syria, and afterwards to 
Cyprus, and finally in 1310 took Rhodes, where they remained 
for over 200 years, and hence are also known in history as the 

99 



loo MALTA 

Knights of Rhodes. They so successfully carried on their 
naval warfare against the Ottoman power, that in 1522 a great 
Turkish army, headed by the Sultan in person, besieged 
Rhodes, the outnumbered Knights having all told but 7,000 
men including retainers. The Turks lost 160,000 in a six 
months' siege, one Knight being credited with having slain 600 
with his own hand. The Knights at last agreed to surrender 
on most favourable terms, and having been granted the Island 
OF Malta as a permanent possession by Charles V, they re- 
moved thither. 

Within a few years the Knights were again so successful 
against the Turkish pirates, that in 1565 the Sultan Solyman 
led a large force of 138 vessels and 40,000 men against Malta. 
He was finally repulsed after most prolonged and desperate as- 
saults with a loss of 25,000 men while the defenders lost 260 
Knights and 7,000 Maltese. Their gallantry in this notable 
struggle elicited the admiration of the whole Christian world. 

Under the leadership of La Valetta, the most famous of all 
the Grand Masters of their Order, the City of Valetta was 
founded, and a series of fortifications were begun that have 
been without a parallel. The Knights also became a com- 
manding sea power and turned the tables upon the Turks by 
maintaining constant piratical expeditions against all Moham- 
medan corsairs, carrying away slaves and indulging in looting 
after the most approved piratical fashion. In fact, most of the 
great fortifications were built by the slaves and money which 
were captured upon the seas. 

DEGENERACY 

With the growth of wealth and power, the Knights became 
lax in their vows of temperance and chastity, and the increase 
of vice and luxury encouraged the most abandoned adventur- 
ers and libertines in Europe to flock to their standard. 

While it is true that the Knights from this time on lost their 
high moral and religious standards, and while it is folly to pui 
a glamour of ideal romance about them, it must be remembered 






ISOLE MALTESI 



Mitna irtgiesi 




"MiffS^T^omoic 



FilfolaRoctc 



VALETTA 

1:64.000 



MfgJ. tnft, 
'i^Coyerr/if/'b Palace Ka&iedml 

'onManuel — ^R.eor^aneau 




MALTA 101 

that their profligacy was in accord with the immoralities of 
their times, above which even some of the high dignitaries at 
Rome did not rise. It is also true that while it is not necessary 
to accept the dictum of Napoleon, **the worse the man, the 
better the soldier/^ yet the constant scenes of murder and 
rapine certainly tended to make them rough and brutal. 

But the good service which they rendered Christendom must 
not be overlooked. It would not be too sweeping a statement 
to affirm that the Ottoman power would have swept over all 
Europe with the same devastation and death which engulfed 
Northern Africa, except for the prowess of the Knights. For 
centuries they were the only restraint upon the piracy which so 
infested the Mediterranean, and it was not until their moral 
decay had set in, that the Algerine pirates became such a terror 
to the sea. While such a writer as General Porter may be ac- 
cused of putting too thick a mantle of charity upon them, on 
the other hand such writers as Mr. Ballou are too unsparing 
with the lash. It must not be forgotten that the *' white 
cross'* banner floated victoriously over many a field of strife, 
where momentous issues for the Kingdom of our Lord were 
at stake. 

Malta was surrendered to Napoleon in 1800 by Von 
Hempesch, the last Grand Master of the Knights, without a 
gun being fired, on the distinct pledge that all life and property 
rights should be respected. This was flagrantly violated. Na- 
poleon himself setting his soldiers a despicable example of 
pillage which they were not loath to follow. It proved a short- 
sighted policy, for in a few months the outraged Maltese re- 
belied, and a year later the French were compelled to capitulate 
to the English forces, which had come to the assistance of 
the Maltese. The treaty of Amiens provided for the return of 
the Knights, but the people preferred the English occupancy. 

It may be added that the Order of the Knights is not 
wholly extinct, Pope Leo in 1879 having made Count Casthi 
a Santa Cisce the Grand Master, and there are a number of 
local societies in Europe and in this country. 



102 MALTA 

DESCRIPTION 

The phrase *' Malta and its dependencies'' includes several 
other islands in the group, notably Gozo and Coming. Malta 
itself is seventeen miles long and eight miles broad, having 
ninety-five square miles. These islands lie fifty-six miles south 
of Sicily and are 187 miles from the African coast. 

As a Fortress, Malta is quite as formidable as Gibraltar 
and far more useful, and is the strongest link in the chain that 
unites England to her Eastern possessions. It would take 
25,000 soldiers to fully man all the defenses. The fortifica- 
tions are most impressive, and one of the finest and deepest 
harbours in the Mediterranean, capable of holding a consider- 
able number of the largest war-ships, adds not a little to the 
effectiveness of Malta as a fortress. 

The Island is nothing more than a huge rock covered with 
a thin but very fertile soil. On account of the great hurri- 
canes (the Euroclydon of Acts xxvii), there are almost no 
trees. The high stone walls built around the gardens to protect 
them, help to emphasize the gray and shadeless effect. Closer 
inspection, however, reveals a wealth of luxuriant vegetation. 
The climate is so mild that there is not an unproductive month 
in the whole year. Most of the 60,000 acres under cultivation 
produce two or three crops a year. 

While the highest point of the island is only 845 feet, the 
shores are quite steep, giving rise to Byron's strenuous ^' Fare- 
well to Malta," 

" Adieu, ye cursed streets of stairs, 
How surely he who mounts you swears." 

PLACES OF INTEREST 

There are few places in the world that have such varied 
interest to the antiquarian. The gigantic Phoenician temple 
ruins and remains pronounced by Professor Sayce to be un- 
equalled, the Roman villas and tombs, the early Christian crypts 
and catacombs, the lavish splendour in carvings, tapestries, 



MALTA 103 

paintings and objects wrought in precious metals with which 
churches, hospitals and palaces are decorated, — these make 
Malta full of perennial fascination. 

VALETTA 

Valetta is a city of over 80,000 inhabitants, built on a com- 
manding promontory, surrounded by imposing fortifications, 
and with an outer and an inner bay of splendid proportions. 
The city is full of novel surprises. While Lord Beaconsfield 
plainly overstated the case when he said that it is equal in 
architecture to any city in Europe, certainly the combination 
of the Moorish and the Italian is most charming. The main 
street, Strada Reale, has many of the important buildings, 
including an Opera House where Patti is said to have made 
her debut, for which she received five pounds. 

The Church of St. John is the most conspicuous object in 
Malta, and one of the most remarkable in Europe ; for while 
it gives the impression of being somewhat overdecorated, its 
tombs of the Grand Masters, its lovely marble and mosaic 
pavements, its 400 marble memorials of its Knightly dead and 
its many curious emblems of heraldry, make it a place of pro- 
found interest. Its corner-stone was laid in 1573. 

The effect of the interior of the church is ornate and elaborate 
beyond description. The magnificently carved high altar with 
its gold and silver accessories, represent the most lavish ex- 
pense. The notable painting of the Beheading of St, John by 
Caravaggio, and the statue in one piece of marble of John 
Baptizing Christ are conspicuous. On both sides of the nave 
are a series of chapels, many of them rich and elaborate. In the 
Chapel of the Holy Sacrament there is a railing in front of the 
altar made of virgin silver, which escaped the cupidity of 
Napoleon and his soldiers, because a quick-witted priest had pre- 
viously painted it black, although now the original lustre ap- 
pears. In this chapel beneath the altar are the original Keys 
of Jerusalem, Acre and Rhodes. 

The Chapel of San Carlo, to the left of the high altar, con- 



104 MALTA 

tains reputed relics including a thorn from the Saviour's crown, 
the stones with which Stephen was martyred, and some bones 
of the apostles. The alleged right hand of John the Baptist, 
encased in a glove of gold and with a great diamond on the fin- 
ger, was here when Napoleon took the island. He slipped the 
ring on his own finger, and thrust the hand aside with the 
sneering remark, '^ Keep the carrion." 

The Governor's Palace is an impressive building sur- 
mounted by a unique clock, the hours and quarter hours being 
struck by huge negroes wiih great sledge hammers somewhat 
after the manner of the clock facing the Piazza of St. Mark in 
Venice. 

The Council Chamber in the Palace in which the council 
meets once a week, contains the famous tapestries representing 
the characteristic fauna of the various continents. They are 
over 200 years old, and in design, colouring and workmanship 
they are unsurpassed. 

The Armory Hall of the Governor's Palace contains much 
armour including that of a Spanish giant seven feet six inches 
high, the helmet of which alone weighs twenty-seven pounds. 
Evidently, *^ there were giants in those days,*' but lest per- 
chance there should be a tendency to think of the Knights as a 
giant Order, it should be said that the usual armour is quite too 
small in size to fit the average men of to-day. Here also may 
be seen a cannon 500 years old, made of tarred ropes and 
covered with leather; the original bull by which in 11 13 Pope 
Pascal took the Knights under his protection; the original 
document of Charles V. giving Malta to the Knights in 1530; 
the long trumpet that sounded the surrender at Rhodes in 1522, 
together with many other trophies and relics. 

In the Church of the Monks lie the unburied bodies of 
the monks, the skeletons still wearing the cloaks which were 
worn in life. There is a story current that a young fellow of 
joking propensities pinned the dress of a lady who was with him 
to one of these cloaks, and when the hideous thing seemed to 
rise and fall upon her, the shock destroyed her reason. 




A STREET IN VALETTA 



MALTA 105 

The Amberge de Castille, the largest and finest of the 
Knights' palaces, the present Military Quarters, the Public 
Library and the Military Hospital will be worth a visit. 

PAUL 

While a few persons have argued in favour of Paul's ship- 
wreck occurring at a certain Meleda in the upper Adriatic, 
nearly all Bible scholars agree (for full arguments see Mc- 
Clintock & Strong, Kitto, Schaff-Herzog, etc., and especially 
J. Smith's ''Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul"), that the 
shipwreck took place in St. Paul's Bay in Malta, about seven 
miles northwest of Valetta. A visit to this Bay will impress 
any observer with the remarkable conformity to St. Luke's 
description in Acts xxvii. A small arm of the Bay answers 
perfectly to a ''certain bay with a beach," and it is also easy 
to identify the place "where two seas met." Add the fact 
that from time immemorial Paul has been the tutelary saint of 
the island, and a very strong case is established. A popular 
legend explains the present absence of all venomous serpents 
by saying that Paul put a curse upon them, so that even the 
poisonous snakes which the Barbary pirates brought to the 
island to disprove this statement, immediately died. 

At the point where Paul is supposed to have landed is built 
St. Paul's Tower, and near by is a Chapel with crude paint- 
ings and frescoes depicting the shipwreck of Paul. 

On Selmoon Island is a colossal statue of Paul erected by 
the Maltese about fifty years ago. They have a great annual 
feast on the alleged date of the shipwreck, February 10. In 
addition to this they have about two hundred festal days in the 
year with much ceremony and pageantry and fireworks. 

CITTA VECCHIA 

A short ride of six miles (by rail, fare sixpence, carriage 
four shillings) brings the visitor to Citta Vecchia, the an- 
cient capital of Malta. Except for the railroad, this place 
seems like a medieval dream with its stately crumbling palaces 



io6 MALTA 

and fortifications, its catacombs only less extensive than those 
at Rome (although without emblems and decorations), and its 
Cathedral of St. Paul, built on the supposed site of the resi- 
dence of the Governor Publius. The view from the parapet 
back of the Church includes St. Paul's Bay. Near the en- 
trance to the catacombs is the Grotto of St. Paul, where he is 
supposed to have lived during his three months' sojourn. A 
modest chapel is built over the cave. The stone of the grotto 
is supposed to have curative power. The only place that seems 
adapted for modern use is the summer residence of the Gover- 
nor. This San Antonio is a beautiful and ideal place and has 
associated with it the memories of a long line of twenty-eight 
Grand Masters who also made it their summer residence. 

THE PEOPLE 

The population in 1920 was 224,859, besides 11,317 troops. 
This is the most congested district (not of course including city 
districts) in the world, averaging about 2,000 to the square 
mile. Although mingled somewhat with the Italian, the people 
are of tolerably pure Arab origin, their language being about 
eighty per cent. Arabic mixed with Italian and Mediterranean 
patois. The Maltese are known throughout the Mediterranean 
as an enterprising and commercial nation, making expert sea- 
men, alert, temperate and industrious. With proper educa- 
tional and religious development they certainly could become 
an important element in Mediterranean activities. 

The Maltese goldsmiths and artificers are justly praised 
throughout Europe, as are also the women for their hand-made 
lace. Wages are quite low, varying from twenty-five to fifty 
cents a day, and the over-population keeps many from earning 
an honest living, beggars being very numerous and persistent. 
The unhappy tourist who is unprovided with a guide will have 
a whole flock at his heels following him with vociferous en- 
treaties. 

The people as a whole, although temperate and industrious, 
are extremely ignorant and superstitious, and to some extent 



MALTA 107 

have the weakness and lack of stamina that are usual in a mix- 
ture of Latin and Arab races. The educated classes, however, 
are attractive in appearance and polished in manners. The 
women make a particularly effective picture in their ^' faldette,*' 
which is something like an American sunbonnet, with a large 
loop on one side extending down the back. 

The Church permits marriages of boys and girls scarcely 
more than twelve or thirteen years of age, and it is not uncom- 
mon for parents to have large families before reaching their 
majority. The utter ignorance of such child-parents, together 
with the squalid conditions and frightful overcrowding, espe- 
cially in Valetta, make the infant mortality the largest of any 
place in the British Empire. It need scarcely be said that 
England has a large and an unperformed duty in the matter of 
the social morality and education of the Maltese, which is 
knocking so loudly at her door that all the world can hear. 
The Americans have a right to compare the work done in the 
way of education and enlightenment in the Philippines among 
a race far inferior and far less developed, and it is safe to say 
that America has done more for the people of her Philippine 
Islands in twenty years than England has done in Malta in 
over a century. England's redemption of Malta should keep 
pace with the magnificent work she has done in Egypt. 

Education is making some progress, yet neither the English 
Government nor the Roman Church is giving the schools 
proper countenance and support. On the whole island only 
one-tenth of the people are able to read or write, which is not a 
good showing after a century of English occupancy. 

In Religion, the Roman Church has a monopoly, having 
two bishops and about two thousand clergy, or one to every 
twenty families. England has put a very conservative inter- 
pretation upon its promise made a century ago ^^to secure to 
the Maltese the free exercise of their rehgion,*' since it has done 
little for the people's religious welfare. 

In 1805, Rev. Mr. Jowett established various Missions in 
the Mediterranean, and had a printing establishment at Malta 



io8 MALTA 

which for a time was managed by John Kitto (later editor of 

''Kitto's Cyclopaedia'*), which printed Bibles and tracts in all 
the Mediterranean languages. The schoolbooks which were 
issued from this press were adopted by Greece for use in its 
schools. The Revolution in Greece in 182 1, however, together 
with other political complications, interfered so much that the 
Mission was finally abandoned. Still, Malta has been occupied 
for some years by various missionary societies, preaching stations 
being sustained by the Colonial Society of England and of 
Scotland, and especially by the Scottish Free Church. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Climate. — Malta is a favourite spring resort, and the climate 
at this season is salubrious. 

Money. — Both English and French money is current. It 
should be noted here, as well as throughout the Orient, that 
shopkeepers will often take a franc for an article for which they 
ask a shilling. Hence French money in most cases can be 
most advantageously used. 

Drives. — A drive into the country will show unique features 
and carriages for a party can be obtained for about two shillings 
an hour. 

Purchases. — Maltese lace is quite famous and very cheap. 
Pay less than half of prices asked. Many articles of fine in- 
laid work are to be had, as well as hand-made embroideries, 
knitted articles, ornaments and jewelry. 



I 



GRKECE 



Statistical Information 

Area, 25,014 square miles. Population about 
3,500,000. Athens has a population of 300,701. 
Salonica, 170,195. Piraeus, 133,482. There are 
ABOUT 8,000,000 Greeks throughout the world. 

Reigning King, Georgios II, born July 19, 1890, 

WHO ASCENDED THE THRONE SEPTEMBER 27, I922, ON THE 
SECOND ABDICATION OF CONSTANTINE I, AFTER THE COL- 
LAPSE OF THE Greek Army in Asia Minor. Queen 
Elizabeth, his wife, is the daughter of Ferdinand 
I, King of Rumania. The whole legislative power 

VESTED in the BuLE WITH 184 REPRESENTATIVES. 

Revenues (1920), £51,950,390. Expenditures, 

£51.950,390. 

Imports (1921), £66,944,776. Exports, £32,679,647, 
consisting of agricultural products, metals, chem- 
icals, wines, animal foods, oils, yarns and textiles, 
besides cereals. currants and wine are chief agri- 
CULTURAL PRODUCTS. The field strength of army is 
25,000, but recently much larger, owing to the con- 
stant WARS WITH Turkey. The navy has only five 
battleships, from 5,000 to 10,000 tons. merchant 
navy has 408 steamers. 

There are 1,470 miles of railway and 10,565 miles 
OF telegraph lines. 

Education is compulsory but poorly enforced. Of 

THE army 30% ARE ILLITERATE. ThERE ARE 6,799 ^^^" 
MARY SCHOOLS WITH 476,695 PUPILS OF WHOM ONLY 

174,805 ARE GIRLS. Secondary schools have 50,997 

BOYS AND 5,311 GIRLS. ThERE IS A TrADE AND INDUS- 
TRIAL Academy and four commercial schools. The 
two universities of athens have 3,250 students. 
The Polytechnic, with 22 professors and 170 stu- 
dents, TEACHES PAINTING, SCULPTURE, ARCHITECTURE, 

ETC. There is also a Service of Antiquity for con- 
serving ANCIENT MONUMENTS. ThERE ARE ALSO 

British, American, French, Italian and German 
SCHOOLS OF Art and Archeology. 

The Greek Orthodox is the State religion, but 
freedom of worship is guaranteed. 

109 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

"Walks in Hellas/' D. J. Snider. Miner, 1921. 

" Greece," E. A. Browne. Macmillan, 192 1. 

" Tragedy of Greece,'' A. J. Toynbee. Oxford, 1921. 

'' Legacy of Greece," R. W. Livingstone. Oxford, '22. 

" CoNSTANTiNE I AND THE Greek People," P. Hibben. 
Century, 1920. 

" Description of Greece," Pansaneas. Putnam, 1918. 

" Discovery in Greek Lands," F. H. Marshall. Mac- 
millan, 1920. 

*' Greek Art and National Life," S. C. K. Smith, 
Scribner. 

*' Life of E. Venizelos," C. Kerofilas. Dutton, 1916. 

'' Greece and the Great Powers," G. F. Abbott. 
McBride, 1917. 

'' Pictures in the Land of Temples," J. Pennell. 
Houghton, 1915. 

'' ^gean Days," J. I. Manatt. Houghton, 1914. 

" Rambles in Greece," J. P. Mahaffy. Macmillan, '13. 

'' Greek Lands and Letters," F. G. Allison. Hough- 
ton, 1912. 

*' Greece of the Hellenes," L. M. J. Garnett. Scrib- 
ner, 1914. 

" Description of Greece," Pansaneas. Macmillan, '13. 

'' Problems in Periclean Buildings," G. W. Elder- 
kin. Princeton Press, 1912. 

" Day in Old Athens," W. S. Davis. Allyn, 1914. 

" Acropolis Museum," Catalogue of Guy Dickens. 
Putnam, 191 2. 

'' Athens the Violet-Crow^ned," L. Whiting. Lane, 

1913. 

'' Athens and Its Monuments," C. H. Weller. Mac- 
millan, 1913. 

'' The Near East," R. S. Hitchens. Century, 1913. 

*' Days in Attica," E. Bosanquet. Macmillan, 1914. 

'' Dx\YS IN Hellas," M. Moore. Jacobs, 1909. 

'' Guide to Greece," Macmillan, 1908. 

'' Story of Athens," H. C. Butler. Century, 1907. 

'' Modern Greece," R. C. Jebb. Macmillan, 1907. 

" Vacation Days in Greece," R. B. Richardson. 
Scribner, 1904. 

*' Baedeker Greece," Scribner. 

no 



ATHENS 

** Where on the ^gean shore a city stands 
Built nobly ; pure the air and light the soil^-^ 
Athens^ the eye of Greece^ mother of arts 
And of eloquence y 

ALL the morning we have been sailing the blue -^gean, 
with perhaps a glimpse at a distance of some Greek 
island, whose blue tint turns to the brown of steep 
hills as we draw nearer, or to the green of some little valley 
that slopes down to the harbour, dotted with the white houses 
of a fishing village. We soon will be fortunate to get a glimpse 
of SuNiUM, the southeast tip of the peninsula of Attica, and 
perhaps in the distance we may make out the ruins of the 
Temple of Athena that for more than two millenniums has 
crowned the rocky promontory of the Acropolis. 

Now we are in the Saronic Gulf and beyond to our right 
is Attica. On our left is -^gina on its island of the same 
name, in early days the rival of Athens on the sea. Soon 
we see the shores of Salamis off the port bow, and on the 
other side there under the mountains and back from the sea, 
we can make out the buildings of the city. That rocky hill 
that rises sheer above the town is the Acropolis. 

Ahead of us before we turn to enter the harbour is the 
Strait of Salamis, and beyond is the Bay of Eleusis and 
the ** City of the Mysteries." In that little Bay over there 
on the left in 480 b. c. were gathered the ships of the Greeks, 
that saved from Persia not Greece alone, but that inheritance 
from Greece which we share with all the Western world. 

Ill 



112 GREECE 

We enter the harbour of the Piraeus through a narrow 
channel between the breakwaters, and get our first sight of the 
blue and white of the Greek flag on the fortifications or on 
some small war vessel. The red of Great Britain is also in 
evidence on the shipping, and perhaps on some neat yacht, 
we may see the beloved *^ stars and stripes/' 

This is Piraeus before us, the port of Athens,— commercial 
and democratic Piraeus, that first welcomed Thrasybulus when 
he came down with his patriot band from his fastness at Phyle, 
which is beyond those beautiful hills to the north, and freed 
Athens from the yoke of the Thirty Tyrants (403 b. c). So 
important was the sea to Athens that Piraeus, though some five 
miles away, was a part of the city, and the ''Long Walls" 
stretched all the way down from the city at the foot of the 
Acropolis in order to enclose it under the protection of Athena. 
That little promontory that forms the southern side of the har- 
bour was called Acte, and probably gave its name to Attica. 

The mountain to the east is Hymettus, haunted of the bees 
and the Muses. A little further away to the northeast is Pen- 
TELICON, and those white spots on its green slopes are marble 
quarries. It has furnished much of the material of the modern 
city as it did of the ancient. 

That sharp hill rising almost out of the modern city is Lyca- 
BETTUS, too high to be a convenient site for the first fortress 
and settlement, — an honour which it yielded to the lower but 
sufficiently impregnable Acropolis, but affording a beautiful 
view from the church of St. George that crowns its summit. 

Away over the hills to the northeast, beyond Pentelicon, and 
on the eastern coast, lies Marathon, the ''fennel field*' with 
its mound of the buried heroes who 

" Breasted, beat barbarians, stemmed Persia rolling on, 
Did the deed, and saved the world." 

But to visit this is a day's journey, and we leave it for another 
time. 

When we arrive at Athens by carriage or by the convenient 



[J 



ATHENS 113 

little railway, we turn at once to the Acropolis, the centre of 
art and history. So we leave our train at the Theseum station 
and proceed along Apostle Paul Street. A few steps bring us 
to the Theseum, one hundred and four by forty-five feet, the 
best preserved edifice of ancient Greece. Though frieze and 
metopes are well-nigh gone, the massive solidity of its construc- 
tion, the golden yellow of the weather-beaten Pentelic marble, — 
the grace of the Doric columns, the almost perfect preservation 
of the building, — make this, our first Greek temple, very in- 
teresting and impressive. Of old it was probably a temple to 
Hephaistos (Vulcan) and Athena, but in the Middle Ages it 
was converted into a church, of which there are still some 
tokens in the interior. 

A SURVEY FROM THE ACROPOLIS 

We hasten to the Acropolis up the well-kept winding road to 
the foot of the rock, through the gateway and up the steep 
steps between the columns of the PROPVLyEA **the brilliant 
jewel'* that Mnesicles *^ set on the rocky coronet of the 
Acropolis.'* We are at the very centre of the Athens of art, 
of literature, of history, of statecraft, of philosophy. Before 
we examine in detail the tempting ruins about us, let us take a 
little look over the city and its surroundings and get our 
bearings. 

Let us turn to the right first and pass out to the western 
front of the little temple of Athena Nike, the ''Wingless Vic- 
tory,'* a most perfect and fascinating little Ionic structure, re- 
covered and restored by German archaeologists some seventy 
years ago, displacing a Turkish battery which occupied its site 
before free Hellas let in civilization to take the place of Islam. 
From the steep bastion we look to the west. 

Opposite us across the road by which we have come is the 
lower hill of the Areopagus, rugged and seemingly in a state 
of nature now, save for a few steps cut into the rock. On the 
top were some ancient altars, and in the Middle Ages a church 
dedicated to Dionysius the Areopagite, St. Paul's convert. 



114 GREECE 

Here above the spring of the Eumenides, which bubbled up 
amid the rocks on the northeast slope of the hill, sat the ancient 
and venerable Court of the Areopagus with its power of life and 
death. Before this Court, and most probably on this very rock, 
St. Paul pleaded in defense of his teaching, although under 
the Romans it is likely that this Court had no criminal jurisdic- 
tion. It is a good place to read the seventeenth of Acts, 
and then on the Acropolis before the splendour of its temples 
muse how *Wery religious" were the men of Athens. 

A little to our left we see the Hill of the Pnyx, a great 
artificial area 395 by 212 feet, on whose slopes is the large 
terrace which formed the place of assembly of the Athenians, 
as well as the rock '* bema,'' from which the orators addressed 
them. The Pnyx should be visited not only because of its 
historic interest, but because it affords an unusually good view 
of the Acropolis. Here some of the members of the CeUic 
Cruise saw a school in charge of their teachers, studying 
Grecian history on the spot. 

Still further to the right on the slopes of the Museum hill, 
we see several ancient doorways that lead into rock-cut cham- 
bers. This is called the Prison of Socrates, without due 
reason. On the summit of the hill is the conspicuous Monu- 
ment OF Philopappus, a descendant of King Antiochus Epiph- 
anes of Syria, the last king of Kommagene in Asia Minor. 
After being deposed by Vespasian, he became a liberal adopted 
citizen and was Roman consul about the year 100 a. d. From 
both of these hills there is a fine view. 

THE ENVIRONS OF ATHENS 

The ground before us at the foot of these hills and beyond 
them is mostly bare of buildings and full of ruins of ancient 
houses and shops, for the Acropolis was at the northern edge 
of the classical city, while the modern city, beautiful in its 
marble buildings and notably clean and civilized looking by 
contrast with Oriental cities, stretches north from the Acropolis. 

Still farther to the west we see the Piraeus, the Saronic 



ATHENS 115 

Gulf, Salamis, the Bay of Eleusis, and beyond the mountains 
of Northern Peloponnesus, and, rising almost two thousand 
feet in air, Acrocorinthus, the lofty citadel of Corinth. 

To the north we look out over the Modern Athens of 
marble, which replaces the straggling village of some three hun- 
dred houses which bore the name of Athens before the removal 
thither of the capital of the new kingdom of Hellas in 1835. 

At our feet looking north we see on the edge of the modern 
buildings the so-called Tower of the Winds, really the Horo- 
logion of Andronicus, a small and not very artistic structure 
built in the first century b. c, for the accommodation of a 
water clock, a sun-dial and a weather-vane. 

A little further to the west are the rather meagre ruins of two 
Market-places (Stoas) given to the city by Attains, King of 
Pergamon, about the middle of the second century b. c. 

Beyond the city runs the Httle brook, the Cephissus, down 
through the Attic plain to the Bay of Phaleron. Further we 
see the mountains, Parnes and Pentelicon, bounding our 
view. 

Just outside the city to the north lies the pretty little suburb 
of KoLONOS, where Sophocles lived and wrote to the age of 
eighty his CEdipous Koloneus, — of him who in earlier days 
after long hardships died there in peace. 

A Httle to the south lay a Garden once owned by a man 
named Academus. It was beautified and adorned as a public 
park in the fifth century b. c, and became a favourite resort 
of Plato and other philosophers who sought a quiet place of 
converse with their disciples. Hence it is that the name of 
Academy is sometimes applied to an institution of learning. 

Looking to the east we see, beyond the bed of the little 
Ilissus, the Stadion, or race course, where the Pan-Athenian 
games were held in ancient times. It was laid out in 330 b. c. 
in a natural hollow, the complete length of the course being 
670 feet. Here in 1896 the Americans gained eleven prizes, the 
Greeks twelve, the French three, and the English one prize in 
the revived Olympic games. King George had it excavated 



ii6 GREECE 

some thirty-five years ago, and recently a Greek, George A veroff, 
living at Alexandria, has rebuilt the whole Stadion in white 
marble at an expense of $500,000. In its palmy days it 
furnished seats for 50,000 spectators, and to make these seats 
of marble, Herodes Atticus, almost exhausted the quarries of 
the Pentelicon, and here he received honorable burial. 

Somewhat nearer we see the conspicuous twelve remaining 
columns of the temple of Zeus Olympius, called by Aris- 
totle, *'a work of despotic grandeur.'* Pisistratus the 
'* Tyrant*' started to build a temple here in the sixth century 
B. c. King Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria renewed the under- 
taking on a magnificent scale, as Livy says, '* in accordance 
with the greatness of the god.** It was this King Antiochus 
whom we know from the books of the Maccabees as the perse- 
cutor of the Jews. Some five or six years before, he had set 
up in the temple of Jehovah at Jerusalem the altar to Zeus, 
'* the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the 
prophet.*' He died, however, before finishing the building. 
A century later Sulla the Dictator took some of its columns to 
Rome. Two centuries more and a magnificent temple was 
consecrated by the Emperor Hadrian in 130 a. d. It is the 
second largest Greek temple known. 

There are remaining only fifteen great Corinthian columns 
of PenteUc marble. It originally possessed more than one 
hundred, arranged in double rows of twenty each on the north 
and south sides, and triple rows of eight each at the ends. Its 
dimensions, 353 by 134 feet, are exceeded only by the temple 
of Diana at Ephesus. It contained an immense statue of 
Zeus, as well as one of Hadrian. 

A little to the left is the Arch of Hadrian, thirty-nine feet 
high by forty-four feet wide, a mediocre structure with a boast- 
ful inscription. This arch was originally adorned with Corin- 
thian columns and formed the approach to the immense Temple 
of Zeus. 

Near the arch is the Monument of Lysicrates, which is a 
small but beautiful circular temple. It was one of a great 




m 
< 

Q 
O 

O 



1 



ATHENS 117 

number erected by the victors in the Dionysiac contests for the 
exhibition of trophies. This monument owes its preservation 
to the fact that it served for many years as library for a French 
Capuchin convent. 

HISTORY 

The Acropolis is a good place for a survey, not only of the 
city and its ruins, but of its history. This rock was the site of 
the earliest city. It was fortified more than a thousand years 
before Christ. Parts of the old Pelasgic walls are still found 
on the south side. Here the semi-mythical kings ruled and sat 
in judgment, and when under Theseus the city united itself 
with the little communities that had sprung up in the plain (an 
event celebrated by the Pan-Athenian procession which is de- 
picted on the frieze of the Parthenon), the social and civic life 
flowed down to the plain, but the Acropolis always remained 
citadel and sanctuary. In the early historic times the state be- 
came increasingly democratic, so far as democracy consists in 
the rule of native freemen. 

Fifth Century B. C. At the beginning of the fifth century 
B. c. the httle democracy, by aiding the free Greek cities of 
Asia Minor, incurred the wrath of the *' Great King *' of Persia. 
In 480, even the Acropolis fell before the armies of Xerxes, 
although its fall was well avenged when, just over there on the 
blue waters of the Strait of Salamis, Themistocles shattered hif* 
ships and sent him home defeated. 

What a splendid century that was, begun by Marathon and 
Salamis and Platsea, the century of ^schylus, Sophocles and 
Euripides, of Herodotus and Thucydides, of Socrates and 
Xenophon and Aristophanes, of Phidias and Ictinus and 
Mnesicles, of Themistocles and Cimon and Pericles, of expan- 
sion and imperialism and the Athenian League, of the building 
of the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the Propylaea. It was a 
century, too, that ended in disaster not altogether undeserved, 
of the cruel capture of Melos (the island where the marvellous 
Aphrodite of the Louvre was found), of Alcibiades and Nikias 



ii8 GREECE 

and the ill-fated Sicilian expedition, of the Peloponnesian war, 
of the capture of the city by the Spartans, and the destruction 
of the '* Long Walls" (read the opening verses of Browning's 
Aristophanes Apology), of the Thirty Tyrants and the execu- 
tion of Socrates. 

Fourth Century B. C. The next century opens with a 
transient revival of civic power and prosperity, soon to be 
clouded by the might of Philip of Macedon, who laid the do- 
mestic foundations for the vast empire of his greater son Alex- 
ander, and against whom the eloquence of Demosthenes was in 
vain. This was a century, too, of the great philosophers 
Plato and Aristotle, and of the art of Praxiteles and Zeuxis. 

The End of Independence. The battle of Chaeronea 
and the victory of the Macedonian Philip over the allied 
Greeks marks the end of Athenian independence. '^As the 
town of the greatest poets of antiquity and the seat of the 
schools of philosophy that had been founded by Plato, Aris- 
totle and Zeno, Athens now subsisted for centuries on the 
intellectual capital laid up in its short but glorious Golden Age. 
Numerous visitors flocked to see its magnificent monuments of 
art, and its conquerors were withheld by reverence for its de- 
parted greatness from making it feel the full consequences of 
defeat; indeed, many foreign princes added both to its build- 
ings and its endowments, down to a late period." 

Later History. Athens had its first taste of barbarian 
domination when Hellas was overrun by the Goths in the 
middle of the second Christian century. At the end of the 
fourth century, even Alaric and his Ostro-Goths, moved by the 
beauty of the place and the culture they could feel but not un- 
derstand, spared the city from plunder, — a grace not always 
manifested by the Christian emperors who removed some of its 
works of art to embellish Constantinople, their new Rome on 
the Bosphorus. 

For nearly a thousand years it remained a privileged city of 
the Empire. In 1019 the Emperor Basil, the slayer of the Bul- 
garians, celebrated a festival of victory in the Parthenon, now 



ATHENS 119 

for a long time converted into a temple of the Virgin Mary. 
A score of years later in 1040 Harold Haardrade and his Norse 
Varangians, whose attack on King Harold of England a quar- 
ter of a century later contributed to his defeat at Hastings, 
sacked the Piraeus and entered Athens in triumph. 

Latin Rule. The Latins of the fourth crusade established 
(1204) a duchy of Athens (Shakespeare, you remember, makes 
Theseus a '* duke of Athens '* ), which lasted two centuries and 
a half till the coming of the Turk. German and French, Italian 
and Spanish names and titles appear in the list of its dukes. 

Then came four centuries of Turkish despotism (1456-1833), 
till in 1834 the Bavarian princeling Otto, as King of the 
Hellenes, made Athens the capital of free Greece. 

Its Prominence. In our time, as for two millenniums, Athens 
owes its prosperity, not to location or to commerce, but to the 
fame of the ancient days, and it is still reaping the harvest of 
the intangible things on which is built the empire of the mind, 
— learning and literature, art and eloquence, philosophy and 
democracy. It is a capital of the world because it is Athens. 
Because it is Athens, students come to it from all parts of the 
kingdom and of the world, and here the visitor stands in awe 
before the might and majesty of things immaterial. 

THE ACROPOLIS 

But it is time to look about us on the Acropolis itself, still pre- 
senting in its ruins the finest picture of the art of antiquity. 
No one should miss the opportunity, if it is presented, of seeing 
the Acropolis and the Parthenon by moonlight. Permits to 
visit the Acropolis on moonlight nights can readily be ob- 
tained without charge from the Ministry of Education. 

We come up the sloping west side of the rock, mounting 
great steps, such as must have existed in ancient times (for it 
seems clear that horses and chariots did not ascend to the 
Acropolis), and pass through the Propylaea, a fitting introduc- 
tion to the columned splendours of the summit. First we pass 
through a small second-century gateway, *' the Beule Gate,*' so 



120 GREECE 

named after the Frenchman who discovered it under the Turk- 
ish bastions over fifty years ago. Up the steep ascent we go, 
partly by marble steps and partly over the naked rock. At 
the left we see the large pedestal of the Statue of M. Vipsanius 
Agrippa, erected in the early Roman period. The statue has 
long since disappeared. 

The Propylaea itself, ''the most important secular work in 
ancient Athens," consists of a central gateway and two wings, 
and occupies all the upper western front of the Acropolis. 
The building was begun in 439 b. c, and completed five years 
later. The original plan of Mnesicles was probably somewhat 
altered at the outbreak of the Peloponnesian war, but even in 
the modified plans the wealth of Doric columns of Pentelic 
marble, the beautifully-carved frieze and metopes, the five 
gateways spanned by great stone beams twenty feet long, — all 
made the Propylaea the admiration of the ancients, and even 
its ruins are a fitting portal to the shrine of ancient art. 

On the right we see the bastion on which is built the beauti- 
ful little temple of Athena Nike. It is twenty-seven by 
eighteen feet, built of Pentelic marble, having a portico with 
four Ionic columns at each end, and with a sculptured frieze 
eighty-six feet long. The larger part of this frieze has been 
preserved, although that upon the building at present is merely 
a reproduction in terra cotta, the original having been taken 
to England by Lord Elgin. It represents Athena pleading the 
cause of her city in the council of the gods and also battles be- 
tween Greeks and Persians. The temple was originally built to 
commemorate the three celebrated Athenian victories at Mara- 
thon, Plataea and Salamis. The view from the western plat- 
form is justly famous, and should not be omitted. 

We now ascend a gradual slope over the rock covered with 
debris, ruins of fallen columns and carved bits of stone, and 
get our first near view of the Parthenon. 

Here at the left stood Phidias* colossal statue of Athena 
Promachos, the ''fighter of the van,** composed from the 
spoils of the Persians captured at Marathon, sixty-six feet in 



ATHENS 121 

height in full armour, her lance-head a landmark to approaching 
sailors. A little further on, encroaching slightly on theErech- 
theum, is the site of the earliest temple on the rock, the 
Hecatompedon or '' hundred foot long '' temple, of which now 
only slight traces of the foundations can be seen in the rock. 

On the north side of the Acropolis is the beautiful Erech- 
theum, with its famous Porch of the Maidens, the Carya- 
tides. It contained the shrine of '^Athena Polias,*' ''the 
guardian of the city.*' The chamber entered from the east 
portico was her special sanctuary, containing a perpetually 
burning light in a golden lamp, and a very ancient figure of 
the goddess in olive-wood, which was said to have fallen from 
heaven. Here Athena and Poseidon decided their strife for 
the possession of the city. The first temple here was burned 
by the Persians, and the present one was completed after many 
delays near the end of the fifth century b. c. 

In religious character as well as in architecture the Erech- 
theum was purely an Ionic shrine. Externally the building 
is fairly well preserved, although the ceiling is largely des- 
troyed, having been shattered during the Turkish siege in 
1825. But within it has suffered much change, having been 
at one time a Christian church and at another the harem 
of a Turkish pasha. 

The building is architecturally peculiar in its three porches, 
the two on either side of the west end, and the southern 
*' Portico of the Maidens,'' which is '* one of the most charm- 
ing creations of Attic art." The strong and graceful maidens 
who take the place of columns in the support of the roof, ac- 
cording to a late tradition, represent captives from the city of 
Caryae in Arcadia which favoured the Persians. Hence the 
statues are often called Caryatides. But the early Athenian 
name was simply ''Portico of the Maidens," and this term 
certainly seems more desirable. One of these figures was 
taken to England by Lord Elgin and is now reproduced in 
terra-cotta. 



122 GREECE 

THE PARTHENON 

On the highest spot of the Acropolis stands the Parthenon, 
even in its ruins '^the most impressive monument of ancient 
art." It is a little to the right as one passes out of the gate, 
for the Pan-Athenian procession passed along the axis of the 
Acropolis to the north of the Parthenon and entered by the 
east door. This great Procession, consisting of the entire 
population, formed the imposing closing ceremonies of the 
Pan-Athenaea, a Festival consisting of chariot races and games 
together with musical and oratorical exhibitions. On each 
side of the roadway thus traversed were statues and monu- 
ments, triumphs of the art of Praxiteles and Myron. 

At the time of the dedication of the Parthenon in 438 b. c. 
to the worship of the virgin goddess, it was most splendid in 
its sculptures, colour being skillfully used to enhance the beauty 
of form. Its fifty life-size statues, its hundred Doric columns, 
its ninety-two metopes and its five hundred and twenty-four 
feet of frieze, — all served to emphasize its glory. 

Pericles was the originator of the undertaking and secured 
the funds. Ictinus and CaUicrates were the architects, and the 
statues and other art decoration were from the designs and 
partly from the hand of Phidias, and register ''the highest 
level ever attained by plastic art.** 

On the triangular pediments were represented, at the east 
the birth of Athena, at the west the contest between Athena 
and Poseidon for the possession of Athens. The great frieze 
around the Temple proper within the outer colonnade repre- 
sented the great Pan-Athenian procession. Youths and maidens, 
horsemen and beasts for sacrifice have the immortality of per- 
fect art. We shall see some of them in the Acropolis Museum, 
but many more of them are in the British Museum in London, 
whither Lord Elgin in 1801 took them, together with much of 
the sculpture of the pediments, a part of the frieze of the 
temple of the Wingless Victory, one of the Caryatides and other 
artistic loot. 

Within the inner sanctuary was Phidias* great chryselephantine 




THE PARTHENON AT ATHENS 

THE ACROPOLIS AND MARS HILL 

ON THE ACROPOLIS— THE CARYATIDES 



ATHENS 123 

figure of Athena Parthenos the virgin, thirty-nine feet high, 
with the flesh parts of ivory and clad in garments of gold. It is 
estimated that the gold in the statue was worth at least ^750,000. 

For more than six centuries the virgin goddess received here 
the worship of her votaries. In the fifth century the Parthenon 
became a Christian Church dedicated to *Hhe mother of 
God," and there can still be seen faint traces of Christian 
paintings upon its inner walls. When the Turks came, they 
made it a Mosque, and erected a minaret at the southwest 
corner. One can still ascend the stairs by which the muezzin 
went up to call the faithful to prayers. 

The building remained in a good state of preservation down 
to the latter part of the seventeenth century. In 1687 the 
Venetian Francesco Morosini, the '* deliverer of the Pelo- 
nese," besieged Athens, and a shell from his batteries ignited 
the powder which the Turks had stored in the Parthenon, 
leading to the capitulation of Athens three days later. Thus 
the most magnificent structure of the ages, which twenty-three 
centuries had spared, was reduced to ruins. 

Yet, although dismantled, how majestic it is still ! One 
cannot get enough of seeing it, morning and afternoon and 
most of all in the evening, when the moonlight softens even 
more bewitchingly the outlines that time has softened, and thus 
seemingly perfects the ruins. How majestic are the yellowed 
columns and the mighty pediments ! Can the original splen- 
dour that Pericles saw have been as perfect as this? 

Our best conception of the Parthenon in its perfection comes 
from a series of 100 drawings made in 1674 by Jacques 
Carrey, and through the published accounts of Messrs. Spon 
and Wneier in 1675. These two English travellers were the 
last persons from Western Europe of whom we have record, to 
see the Parthenon before its destruction. 

THE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM 
At the southeast corner of the rock is the Acropolis Museum 
(open eight to twelve and two to six, entrance free), tastefully 



124 GREECE 

inconspicuous, containing many of the art treasures found in 
the Acropolis. It has an impressive collection of specimens of 
the earlier stages as well as of the climax of Greek art. 

In the Vestibule is the celebrated relief of a Woman Entering 
a Chariot (1342). In Room I. (Room of the Bull), there is a 
group of two Lio7ts Attacking a Bull (3), and an Archaic 
pediment representing Hercules Fighting with the Lernean 
Hydra^ with lolaos as his charioteer (i), traces of the original 
colouring being still visible. In Room II. is a Monster, proba- 
bly Typhon Overcome by Zeus (35), and Hercules Fighting 
with Triton (^z^^- In Room III is a celebrated painted terra- 
cotta slab, representing a Warrior Advancing to Battle (67). 
The most conspicuous object in Room V. is the figure of a 
Youth Carrying a Calf (625). 

Room VI contains the famous collection of Archaic Busts, 
Torsos and Statues (670-682), which, next to the Par- 
thenon frieze, are the chief treasure of the Museum. Of these 
the most prominent is No. 681. In Room VII the chief ob- 
ject is the Head of a Youth (689), remarkably fine and well 
preserved. 

Room VIII, the Parthenon Room, has a profound interest 
because of the Frieze of the Parthenon, of which there are 
twenty-two slabs and a total of eighty-four feet. These in- 
clude Three Youths with Sacrificial Cows (85 7), Four Women 
with Gold Vessels (877), Three Men with Musical Instru- 
ments (875) and a Procession of Horsemen and Carriages 

(861-874). 

In Room IX may be seen the famous Reliefs from the Nike 
Balustrade as well as Nike Fastening her Sandal, 

From the east end of the Acropolis we may look down and 
see the fine little Corinthian Monument of Lysicrates, com- 
memorating the victory of the chorus he had trained for the 
theatre, and his services as choregus. High up on the foot of 
the cliff on the south side just back of the theatre are two 
columns, which are probably the remains of other choragic 
monuments. 



I 



ATHENS 125 

The great Theatre of Dionysus is just below us when we 
look down from the south side of the Museum. The seats con- 
sisted not only of those that remain at the bottom, but ran up to 
the very foot of the cliff, for the theatre could accommodate 
30,000 spectators. A foundation stone of the altar in the middle 
of the orchestra, parts of the wall of the stage, together with 
many rows of seats, still remain. The front row consisted of 
marble chairs for dignitaries and priests, appropriately in- 
scribed. There are bases for statues among the seats, and a 
double throne for two benefactors of the city. 

The Theatre was greatly enlarged in the middle of the fourth 
century, b. c, and again by the Emperor Hadrian. Here the 
Athenian people rejoiced again over the defeat of the Persians 
when they saw the drama of -^schylus. Here they grieved 
with Antigone or for Alcestis. Here Aristophanes incited 
them anew, or perhaps the demagogue Cleon or the wise 
Socrates. 

To the west of the Theatre of Dionysus was a Temple of 
AscLEPius, and further still and in a much better state of preser- 
vation, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which that wealthy scion 
of an eminent Roman family built in memory of his wife, who 
died about 160 a. d. It was a smaller and roofed theatre for 
musical entertainments, holding about six thousand people. 

MODERN ATHENS 

When Athens was made the capital of free Greece, it was a 
wretched little village, but the present city, planned by a Ger- 
man architect, Herr Schaubert, is one of the most attractive in 
the Levant. Its population has increased at a rate that would 
do credit to one of our most thriving American cities. In 1870 
it contained about 45,000 inhabitants, while at present it has 
300,701. Next come Salonica, 170,195, and Pirseus, 133,482. 

The chief streets in Athens are Hekmes Street and the 
Rue d'Eole, which intersect each other in the centre of the 
town, and are the chief commercial thoroughfares. In the 
northeast of the city is the Neapolis, or Modern City, which 



126 GREECE 

has most of the Public Buildings and hotels, together with the 
fine squares and broad boulevards. Most of its new buildings 
are of marble and are models of architectural taste and beauty. 

NATIONAL ARCH^OLOGICAL MUSEUM 

This Museum (open eight to twelve, and two to six, entrance 
free) contains much that is most interesting to the visitor. It 
has three separate collections, the one of Mycenian and Egyp- 
tian ANTIQUITIES, the sccond (in the north wing) of the 
Sculptures in Marble, and the third (in the south wing) of 
Bronzes and Vases. 

The Mycenian Antiquities were largely discovered by Dr. 
Schliemann at Mycenae and include weapons, ornaments and 
vessels of gold, silver and clay. The Egyptian Antiquities will 
have little interest to people who are planning Egypt as a part 
of their itinerary. 

In Room IV (Archaic Art) the two most important objects 
are the Primitive Statue of Artemis (i) from Delos, and the 
celebrated Stele of Aristion by Aristokles (29), which is a 
finely executed portrait of a warrior. In the middle of Room 
V. (Athena) is a reduced marble imitation of Phidias* Chryse- 
lephantine Statue of Athena Farthenos, Here also may be 
noted the Eleusinian Relief {126^, a votive tablet of the fifth 
century b. c, Demeter handing some grains of corn to a boy 
representing Triptolemos, who first taught men the art of 
husbandry, Persephone in the meantime placing a garland on 
his head. Here also is the so-called Head of Eubuleus (181) 
of great artistic value. 

Room VI (Hermes) is the Hermes of Andros (218), one of 
the finest pieces in the collection, as well as the Frieze of Lamia 
(221, 222), representing a procession of Tritons, Nereids and 
Cupids. In Room VII (Themis), is the Colossal Statue of 
Themis (231) from the smaller Temple of Nemesis at Rhamnus. 
In Room VIII (Poseidon) there is a colossal Figure of Posei- 
don from Melos (235), the Head of Demosthenes (327) and 
the Warrior from Delos (247), one of the best works in the 



ATHENS 127 

Museum. Room X. has a large and important collection of 
Sepulchral Reliefs ^ some of which are very fine, dating from 
the golden period of Greek art. The Rooms of the Bronzes, 
Terra-cottas and Vases are also full of fine specimens. 

Taken as a whole, the Museum has an unrivalled collection 
of Greek sculptures from the Mycenian antiquities to the 
climax and even the decline of Greek art. Here the artist is 
enraptured, and even '* the Philistine " cannot but be moved. 

MINOR SIGHTS 

On the Boulevard de I'Universite is the noble mansion 
of Dr. Schliemann (who died 1890) now occupied by his 
widow. Near by is the Academy of Science, after the model 
of the Institut de France and the Berlin Academy. It has a 
series of paintings by Griepenkerl of Vienna in connection 
with the legend of Prometheus. The Academy is open to 
visitors. 

The Polytechnic Institute (open two to four, no fee) has 
an interesting historical and ethnological collection, containing 
memorials of the Greek war of Independence, portraits of im- 
portant personages, native costumes, etc. 

The former Royal Palace was turned into a hospital during 
the war, but is now used by State departments. The new Pal- 
ace is on Amalia Avenue, behind the Botanical Garden. The 
Summer Palace is at Tatoi, a suburb of Athens. The new 
King, George II, ascended the throne September 27, 1922, 
after the second abdication of his father King Constantine. 
King George II has promised to maintain friendship with the 
Allies. Venizelos, although not officially the Prime Minister, 
is representing Greece in European councils. Mrs. Leeds, an 
American woman, who married Prince Christopher, the uncle 
of King George, is rather a prominent figure in the social and 
political life of Greece. The recent loss of Smyrna, Eastern 
Thrace, Adrianople, etc., is a great loss of prestige, and de- 
stroys Greece's prospect of being a great Mediterranean power. 

The Metropolitan Church begun in 1840 and constructed 



128 GREECE 

from the materials of seventy small churches and chapels which 
were torn down by a decree of 1840, is a rather imposing build- 
ing, but without artistic taste. 

The Small Metropolis Church, built about 775 from an- 
cient materials, is interesting because of its Byzantine workman- 
ship and art. 

The Burial Ground outside the Dipylon Gate has some in- 
teresting monuments and tombs, including that of Dexileos who 
distinguished himself in the Corinthian wars. 

THE PEOPLE 

Modern Athens has its own characteristic life, worthy of 
study. The Greeks are an intelligent and cultured people, and 
in their national dress make a most favourable impression. In 
the Old Bazaar in the Rue d*Eole can be seen tailors, cobblers, 
carpenters and smiths busy with their work in the open square, 
protected only by a canvas roof. The Greek soldiers in dress 
parade wear a picturesque uniform, and being in evidence 
everywhere, add not a little to the variety of the scene. 
Numerous priests and monks (there are about 8,000 priests in 
Greece to a population of 5,000,000), with many different 
styles of robes, mingle with the crowd. There are few beggars 
as compared with other cities in the Levant, the Greeks as a 
rule being too proud to beg, even in cases of extreme poverty. 

EDUCATION 

Education in Athens has been brought to a high standard, 
promising within this generation to do away with all illiteracy. 
In this little kingdom, not larger than Massachusetts, there are 
over six thousand elementary schools for boys and several hun- 
dred for girls. The Arsakeion, a fine girls* school carried on 
according to American ideas and standards, has over fifteen 
hundred girls in attendance. In proportion to her size and 
wealth, Greece exceeds even the United States in its liberality 
towards education. 

Athens has two Universities with complete faculties. 
The older one is flourishing, having over 3,000 students. 



ATHENS 129 

It possesses a valuable library (open nine to three) of 100,000 
volumes, a Museum of Natural History and a comprehensive 
collection of Greek antiquities. 

Athens is a notable resort of scholars, and one can meet 
there some of the world's foremost writers, artists, sculptors, 
architects and archaeologists. Archaeological institutes are 
conducted and supported by France, Germany and England. 
The American School of the same scope is sustained 
by the various cooperating colleges in the United States. 
Its recent Director, Dr. R. B. Richardson, has become dis- 
tinguished through his discoveries at Corinth, where the 
School is carrying on excavations. Dr. Hoppin, of Bryn 
Mawr, Pennsylvania, has recently founded a scholarship 
for young women who wish to finish their studies in 
Athens. 



RELIGION 

The Greek Church, which dominates the religious life of 
Greece, while nominally under the Patriarch at Constantinople, 
Meletios Metaxakis, is entirely in the hands of the ** Holy 
Synod/' consisting of the Metropolitan of Athens, four arch- 
bishops and other bishops. 

There are no missionary bodies operating in Athens, al- 
though the American Board (A. B. C. F. M.) to some extent 
assists the Protestant Evangelical Greek Church. The 
Athens Church belonging to this organization is entirely self- 
supporting, and contributes towards the support of the other 
Churches of the Synod. There is a special work being carried 
on by this Church for women, and the better observance of the 
Sabbath and the wide circulation of the Scriptures are being 
emphasized. 

The Church of England has a Church in Athens, and a 
school under the auspices of the Episcopal Church (United 
States) is in active operation. The Young Men's and Young 



130 GREECE 

Women's Christian Associations are also doing aggressive 
work. The English Church building and that of the Protestant 
Evangelical Greek Church may be found to the east of the 
Acropolis, near the ruins of the temple of Zeus Olympius. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Money. — The basis of Greek currency is the drachma, 
equivalent to the franc, or about twenty cents, A drachma is 
divided into one hundred lepta. The drachma is rapidly de- 
creasing in value, and promises to repeat the decline of kronen 
and marks in Central Europe. Greek gold and silver have dis- 
appeared, and Greece has little credit in European financial 
circles. 

Hotels. — Grand Bretagne, d'Angleterre, and the Grand. 
These are entirely comfortable and the prices are reasonable in 
American money. 

Cabs and Motor Cars can be had by the hour. Bargain- 
ing is advisable. 

Guides are limited in number, but some of them are par- 
ticularly well informed and speak English quite well. 

Tramways are useful especially between Athens and Piraeus 
and other suburbs. 

Antiquities are no longer allowed by the Government to 
be sold and any that are offered sulf rosa are apt to be spurious 
or valueless. Many worthless coins and gems are also for sale. 

Photographs of all kinds are particularly fine and cheap and 
there is a great variety of classical subjects. Large carbon 
photographs for framing can be purchased to advantage. There 
are also silks and embroideries and Greek souvenirs to be had. 
Bargaining is advised. 



TURRET 



Statistical Information 

Sultan previous to October, 1922, was Mohammed 
VI. Succeeded by his cousin, Abdul Medjid Effendi, 
BORN May 25, 1868. The Constitution was a dead 

LETTER, UNDER AbDUL HaMID II, BUT WAS RESTORED 

July 2^, 1908. There is a Senate and Chamber of 
Deputies. The Grand Vizier and twelve Ministers 
FORM THE Cabinet or Sublime Porte. The Empire is 
DIVIDED into Vilayets or Provinces, each governed 
BY A Vali or Governor-General representing the 
Sultan. The National Assembly called at Angora, 
IN Asia Minor, in April, 1920, under Mustafa Kemal 
Pasha now dominates Turkey, although not cast- 
ing OFF allegiance TO THE SULTAN. 

Area (European Turkey), 10,882 square miles, 

WHICH WILL be enlarged AS RESULT OF KeMAl'S VIC- 
TORIES. Other Vilayets make a total of 613,724 
square miles. total population, 20,973,900. 

Revenue (1918), £34,016,698. Expenditures, 
£51,969,711. Imports (1916), £73,237,199. Exports, 
£19,756,524; consisting of tobacco, raisins, dried 
fruits, wool and carpets. 

The total peace army before 1914 was 150,000, but 

THE MAXIMUM IN I916 WAS 650,000. ThE KeMALIST 

army in 1922 is estimated at 250,000. 

The length of railways in European and Asiatic 
Turkey (1916) is 3,720 miles. 

Telegraph lines, 28,890 miles. 

Mohammedanism is established State religion, 
THE Sultan being Supreme Head. Mohammedans 
form vast majority in Asiatic Turkey. There are 
379 mosques in Constantinople and 2,120 in the 
Empire. 

Elementary education is carried on in 36,230 

schools, with 1,331,200 PUPILS, BUT EFFICIENCY IS VERY 

LOW. There is a nominal Mohammedan University 
AT Constantinople with five faculties. Large num- 
ber of foreign schools conducted BY Americans, 
English and French. 

131 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 

" Under the Turk in Constantinople," G. F. Ab- 
bott. Macmillan, 1920. 

''Ambassador Morganthau's Story," Doubleday, '18. 

'' The Turkish Empire," G. J. Eversley. Dodd, '20. 

'' Day of the Crescent," G. E. Hubbard. Macmillan, 
1920. 

'' The Turks in Europe," W. E. D. Allen. Scribner. 

''When Turkey Was Turkey," M. A. Poynter. 
Button, 1921. 

" Some Revolutions," H. G. Elliot. Button, 1922. 

" Future of Constantinople," L. S. Woolf. Mac- 
millan, 1917. 

" Constantinople, Old and New," H. G. Bwight. 
Scribner, 1915. 

" Constantinople," W. H. Hutton. Button. 

" Byzantine Churches in Constantinople," A. 
Van Milligan. Macmillan, 1912. 

" Claimants to Constantinople," A. C. Coolidge. 
Harvard Press, 1917. 

" Fall of Constantinople," J. M. Neale. Button, 

1913. 
" Turkey and Its People," E. Pears. Boran, 1912. 
" Fringe of the East," H. C. Lukach. Macmillan, 

1913. 
" American Physician in Turkey," C. B. Ussher. 

Houghton, 19 1 7. 

" Baybreak in Turkey," J. L. Barton. Pilgrim Press. 

*' Leavening the Levant," J. K. Greene. Pilgrim 
Press, 1916. 

" Passing of the Turkish Empire in Europe," B. G. 
Baker. Lippincott, 1913. 

" Near East prom Witpiin," Funk & Wagnalls, 191 5. 

" Forty Years in Constantinople," E. Pears. Ap- 
pleton, 1915. 

" Mysticism and Magic in Turkey," L. M. Garnett. 
Scribner, 1912. 

" The Real Turk," S. Cobb. Pilgrim Press, 1914. 

" Englishwoman in a Turkish Harem," G. Ellison, 
McBride, 1915. 

" Turkish Memories," S. Whitman. Scribner, 1914. 

" Travels Without Baedeker," A. Beaman. Lane, 

1913. 

132 



I_CONST ANTING PLE 

« TTie eye of the world, the ornament of nations , the fairest 
sight on earth,^^ — Thirteenth Century Chronicler. 

CONSTANTINOPLE sits '' at the meeting of two seas 
and two continents like a diamond between sapphires 
and emeralds/* For beauty, for security, for com- 
mercial opportunity and for political importance, it is almost 
without a peer in its location. The effect from a distance, 
especially with the sunshine on its white palaces, its many 
domes, its graceful minarets, and its quaint buildings, is be- 
wilderingly beautiful. 

The city lies forty-one degrees north of the Equator, — the 
latitude of New York, Rome and Peking. It is situated at the 
southern extremity of the Bosphorus, and is divided by this and 
by the Golden Horn (a deep narrow inlet on the European 
side) into three portions : Galata and Pera north of the 
Golden Horn which are mainly European ; Stamboul the old 
city, which is predominantly Turkish ; and Scutari on the 
Asiatic side which is also conservative and Turkish. 

The population numbers 1,125,000, of which somewhat less 
than half are Turks, a little less than a quarter Greeks, the rest 
being Armenians, Jews and other nationahties. One may 
stand on the Galata bridge and see the racial panorama of the 
Orient pass by, and everywhere signs and placards appeal in 
half a dozen languages. 

HISTORY 

The first city at the mouth of the Bosphorus was founded, 
' according to tradition, on the site of the modern Scutari (on 

133 



134 TURRET 

the Asiatic side) in the first quarter of the seventh century b. c. 
by Dorian Greeks. It was known for more than a thousand 
years as Chalcedon. About a score of years later some of their 
fellow countrymen, seeking a site for settlement, were bidden 
by the oracle to '^ build their town over against the city of the 
blind," and they founded Byzantium on the triangle which the 
Golden Horn forms at its junction with the Bosphorus. It re- 
mained Byzantium until Constantine's ^' New Rome " took to 
itself the name of its second founder, and it became Con- 
stantinople. 

Legend was busy with these shores before history. In this 
Strait, at its western end, now called the Dardanelles, unhappy 
Helle met her death and gave the stream the ancient name of 
Hellespont. On this shore was Hero's tower to which Leander 
swam to meet his love across the estranging flood. 

The Bosphorus received its name from the passage of the 
divine bull who carried Europa across in safety. Here *^ gad- 
fly driven" lo dared the waters to escape Hera's jealousy. 
Over this sea and through these Straits passed the Argo with 
Jason and his comrades in search of the Golden Fleece. At 
the northern end of the Bosphorus we still see the last of the 
Sympegades, the fearful rocks that closed like crushing jaws on 
the rash vessel that dared attempt to pass into the Euxine. 

On the European shore, the Argonauts found blind Phineus 
tormented by the Harpies, and learned from him the secret of 
a safe passage. Poseidon and Apollo helped to build the 
walls of Byzantium, and along the shore of the rushing stream 
were grottoes of Pan and Aphrodite. 

The Persian Darius captured the city on his way to subdue 
Greece, and across the Hellespont Xerxes built his wonderful 
bridge of boats for his vast army. Destroyed by the defeated 
Persians and rebuilt by Pausanius, who here offered to betray 
Greece to Xerxes, Byzantium took her part in the stormy 
Greek politics of the fifth and fourth centuries b. c. She re- 
ceived somewhat grudgingly Xenophon's Ten Thousand on 
their way home, and would have none of Philip of Macedon. 



1 Pera Palace 

2Bri3lor 

3deLondres 

■4 RoyJlehd'Anglctcn 




Sea 



CONSTANTINOPLE 135 

The moon breaking through the clouds revealed an attempted 
night attack by the Macedonians, and in gratitude for the grace 
of torch-bearing Hecate, the city adopted among its emblems 
the crescent and scirnetar, which afterwards were adapted by 
the Mohammedan conquerors. After the break-up of the em- 
pire of Alexander, Byzantium kept its independence for a cen- 
tury, until it yielded to the advancing power of Rome, to whose 
name and law and government it was to succeed, and of whose 
empire it was a centre for more than a thousand years. 

When CoNSTANTiNE came into power he chose Byzantium 
for his new capital. The importance of the city on the Tiber 
was waning. The emperor's presence was often required in 
the East. Where could there be found a city so beautiful, so 
accessible, so impregnable, of such commercial importance, as 
the old Byzantium, which Constantine would have called New 
Rome, but which speedily took the name of its imperial 
rebuilder, which it has borne for more than a millennium and 
a half. 

After the Council of Nicea, which in 325 drew up the 
Nicene Creed in its earlier form, Constantine turned to the 
rebuilding of the city. The solemn procession under his lead 
passed further and further westward in determining the line of 
the new walls, until two miles beyond the old gate, the emperor 
pointed out the place where the new line of fortifications should 
cross from Golden Horn to Marmora. 

To adorn the city the wealth of the world was taxed, and 
old Rome was forced to yield her treasures to the new. On 
May II, 330, occurred the magnificent festival of dedication. 
The attractions and the business of the capital, the special 
privileges of imperial favour, and the natural commercial 
advantages of the city soon filled Constantinople with a swarm- 
ing population, and it entered upon the second period of its 
history as a capital of the empire. 

The strength of the Fortifications, of which the ruins may 
yet be seen, proved the salvation of the city. After the army of 
Valens was utterly cut to pieces before Adrianople, in 378, the 



136 TURKET 

northern hordes turned back in despair before the frowning 
ramparts. 

The end of the century saw further troubles with Goths and 
Germans, but still the city stood impregnable. The most 
notable figure of the time is the eloquent and fearless patriarch, 
St. John Chrysostom, dying in exile because of his courage in 
rebuking imperial sins. On the night of his deposition, 
Easter, 404, in the tumult of the protesting populace, the first 
Sancta Sophia which had been built by Constantine, was 
burned to the ground. The fifth century saw the extinction of 
the weak western emperors ruling at Rome and the overrunning 
of the Balkan peninsula by the Ostrogoths. 

Justinian the Great was the founder of a new order of 
things. For forty years he ruled the state with his low-born 
but imperial-minded wife Theodora. His general, Belisarius, 
whom Freeman calls '^ all things considered the greatest gen- 
eral in history,'' and Narses, who was taken from the palace to 
the camp, led his armies victoriously east and west against 
Persians, Huns and Goths, in Africa, Italy and Spain, as well 
as in the East. 

Justinian was the last ruler over united Italy till Victor 
Immanuel. During his reign (542) a great plague devastated 
the empire and almost depopulated the city. Under his orders 
a commission undertook the revision and codification of the 
Roman law, and Justinian's Pandects and Institutes are *' the 
most precious monument of the legal genius of the Romans," 
and remain legal classics to-day and the groundwork of the 
legal system of Latin Europe. 

A great riot of the factions at the races in the Hippodrome 
(532) threatened the overthrow of the government, but the 
courage of Theodora and the genius of Belisarius saved his 
throne, and the incidental burning of the second Sancta Sophia 
with many other public buildings, gave him the opportunity of 
gaining new laurels as a builder, and to him we owe the grace 
and majesty of the present Sancta Sophia. 

During the seventh century the empire began to feel the 



CONSTANTINOPLE 137 

rising tide of Islam. Syria and Egypt were lost, and Omar 
captured Jerusalem, the Holy City. Constantinople itself was 
besieged by a vast Moslem host, but after four years of struggle 
the Emperor Constantine IV drove it back in utter defeat, for 
it was still to be almost eight centuries more before another, 
and the last, Constantine should fall at the gate of St. Romanus 
in the vain attempt to save the imperial city from the rule of 
Islam. 

Again in 717 the city suffered a Moslem siege, but cold and 
storm cooperated with the valour and genius of Leo the 
Isaurian, whom the empire's need called to the purple. Leo is 
noted, not as deliverer only, but as reformer, for he remodelled 
the army and cast out the pictures and images from the Greek 
Church, thereby earning the hatred of the superstitious, and 
precipitating a conflict that shook the empire. 

The year 800 is notable for the renunciation by Western 
Europe of even nominal allegiance to the Roman emperor at 
Constantinople (or rather to the empress, the wicked Irene), 
and the establishment of the empire in the west under Charle- 
magne. The ninth century saw the revival of Byzantine com- 
merce under the protection of the new navy that cleared the 
sea of Saracen corsairs, and with it the great revival of art and 
literature under the long and peaceful reign of Leo the Wise. 
To this age belongs the development of the eastern romances 
of chivalry. 

Towards the end of the tenth century, Basil began a long 
and successful reign, and at his death the Byzantine borders 
reached the furthest extension they had ever known. Freeman 
says of him, '^ A thousand years back a wise man in search of 
a ruler might have doubted whether to place himself under the 
sceptre of West Saxon Alfred, or under the sceptre of the 
Macedonian Basil." 

The middle of the eleventh century heard the rumblings of 
the storm, and fifty years after Basil's death, the rash Romanus 
was defeated by the Turks. In addition to the discords of 
alien allies and the unwelcome guests brought by the Crusades, 



138 TURRET 

the establishment of Frankish seaports and others on the coast 
of Syria left the city on the Bosphorus stranded by the golden 
stream of Oriental trade which flowed from Tyre and Accho to 
Genoa and Venice. In the first half of the twelfth century the 
trade of the city was cut in two, and the finances of the empire, 
strained by constant wars, fell into decay. 

This decline was really the beginning of the end. At the 
close of the twelfth century, the allies of the fourth Crusade 
turned from their purpose of making an attack upon the Sultan 
of Egypt, to assist in his claim to the purple a young scion of 
the house of Angeli, that for twenty years had been misgovern- 
ing the empire. After four months of desperate resistance the 
city fell (1204), and was given up to lootmg in an orgy of ruin 
and ribaldry that would have disgraced the Turks. Churches 
were plundered and desecrated, the crusading Roman priests 
making a specialty of looting relics. A few of the great mass 
of treasures of art were carried away, among them the bronze 
horses that Constantine had brought from Rome and placed in 
the Hippodrome. Doge D^ndola took them for St. Mark's at 
Venice, where they now look down upon the beautiful piazza. 
But the most priceless treasures of art, — classical and Christian, 
— that the world ever knew, were ruthlessly destroyed or melted 
down to add to the prize money. 

This done, they set up Baldwin of Flanders as emperor over 
a capital half burned, four-fifths depopulated and wholly 
plundered. For almost sixty years his empire dragged out a 
feeble existence. The loss of the navy involved the loss of its 
trade. Losing province after province to Turk and Servian, 
for two centuries it waited the coup de grace of Mohammed, the 
conqueror. In these years the empire was too weak and 
Christian Europe too divided to take advantage of Turkish 
dissensions, and when young Mohammed II., ''the most com- 
manding personality among the whole race of Ottoman Sultans,'* 
ascended the throne, the end was imminent. 

Picking a trivial quarrel, in April, 1453, ^^ besieged the 
city, and on May 29th the end came. The doomed emperor^ 



CONSTANTINOPLE 139 

forsaken of European Christendom for whose support he had 
renounced the orthodox Greek Church for the Roman, and 
thus lost the love of his subjects, took a last sad Mass at mid- 
night in Sancta Sophia, and at dawn rode out of the gate of 
St. Romanus, where it was known that the assault was to take 
place. Here, where the Moslem cannon had battered in the 
walls, he stood in the breach, and was buried in the onrush of 
the victorious Janissaries in the heap of the slain. To-day in 
the quarter of Abou Vefa in Stamboul may be seen a nameless 
grave, which the Greeks secretly revere as the resting-place of 
the body of the last Constantine. 

Riding in triumph through the Hippodrome, Mohammed 
saw the brazen serpents that the first Constantine had taken 
from Delphi, where they had been set to commemorate the de- 
feat of Xerxes, and the loss of one of the heads that we now 
miss in the column is said to be due to the mace of the Ori- 
ental conqueror. 

Into Sancta Sophia he rode his horse, and the print of his 
bloody hand is shown the traveller high up on one of the 
pillars at the right of the place of the altar. From the pulpit 
a mollah repeated the Moslem credo, and the most venerable 
and beautiful sanctuary of Christendom was given over to the 
faith of the false prophet. They took down the altar and they 
put up minarets for the muezzin, but the whitewash does not 
so completely cover the frescoes and mosaic, that we cannot see 
the cross at the crown of the arches, as well as the figure of the 
Christ, over where the altar stood, with His hands extended in 
blessing, — a prophecy of the end of the Koran and of the 
sword, and instead, the triumph in this sanctuary and through 
the world, of the purer faith of Him who came to minister and 
to give His life a ransom for many. 

Thus began the yet unended epoch of Stamboul, the Rule 
OF THE Turk utterly alien to civilization and Christianity. 
Twenty-nine sultans have ruled the imperial city to the pres- 
ent Abdul Medjid. Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566), 
who brought the Turkish rule to the pinnacle of power as 



I40 rURKET 

conqueror, builder and legislator, was the Justinian of the Otto- 
man. His mosque on the third hill is called the finest of Otto- 
man mosques, and takes its architectural inspiration from Sancta 
Sophia, which it slightly surpasses in size of dome. Without 
are the tombs of Suleiman and his famous favourite Roxe- 
lana. 

After his reign begins the decUne, which has resulted in the 
'* Sick Man of Europe,'* a government well-nigh as weak as 
that which invited overthrow in 1453. Since the accession of 
Abdul Hamed II. in 1876, we have seen the defeat of Turkey 
in the Russian war (1877-8), the treaty of Berhn (1878), 
which meant free Roumania, Servia, tributary Bulgaria, en- 
larged Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greek Thessaly, 
English Cyprus, followed by French Tunis (1881), English 
Egypt (1882), autonomous Crete (1897), and Tripoli (1911). 
The Great War caused Turkey to lose her European territory, 
but the recent Kemalist victory restored it. This Turkish 
renaissance will probably be short-lived. 

SCENES OF INTEREST 

Our ship comes to anchor in the Bosphorus a little way 
above the Golden Horn. Just opposite us is Galata, and on 
the hill northward, Pera, the European quarter. Galata in the 
twelfth and following centuries was the Italian quarter, inhab- 
ited by Genoese and Venetian traders, who in the times of 
the restored Greek Empire (i 261-1453) were practically inde- 
pendent and surrounded their town with a wall and moat. 
They gave little aid in the defense of the city, but were in- 
volved in the disaster of its overthrow. 

The Galata Tower on the top of the hill, now used as a 
watch-tower for fire, is a monument of the Genoese occupation, 
though its foundations were laid in the fifth century. It gives 
an excellent view of the entire city as well as its surroundings 
up and down the Bosphorus, and even on a clear day far out 
over the Sea of Marmora to the Princes Island. While the 




A STREET OF CONSTANTINOPLE 



CONSTANTINOPLE 141 

ascent is not easy, the visitor will be well repaid by one of the 
most remarkable views in the world. 

Going up the steep hill to Pera, where the foreign embassies 
are, one sees many churches and schools, one after a French 
model under the patronage of the present Sultan,— and in the 
midst of these European surroundings a convent of Whirling 
Dervishes, whose peculiar ecstatic devotions the traveller can 
witness on any Friday after midday prayer. 

Probably before we disembarked, we noticed the Dolma 
Baghtcheh, the palace that extends along the shore of the 
Bosphorus, the largest and most splendid of all the palaces of 
the Sultan. In the magnificent throne room, the dignitaries 
of the empire prostrate themselves before the Sultan in their an- 
nual Act of Homage. It was built by Abdul Mejid (1839-61). 
Here in 1876 Abdul Aziz met his death, and Murad V. was 
declared insane, so that his brother might ascend the throne to 
be Abdul Hamed II. Recent Sultans have, as a rule, preferred 
the smaller palace Yildiz Kiosk on the crest of the hill, 
from which they depart only on the occasion of some im- 
portant religious or civil function, and then only under ample 
guard. 

THE SANCTA SOPHIA 

After we cross the busy Galata bridge and come into Stam- 
boul, we first seek Sancta Sophia, the great Church of Con- 
stantine and Justinian. North of his great Forum and Hippo- 
drome, and near his palace with its long front facing the waters 
that wash Seraglio Point, Constantine erected his Cathedral 
Church (326) and consecrated it, not to an inferior saint, but 
to the Lord Himself, the Divine ^^ Wisdom'' of Proverbs viii, 
— the Hagia Sophia. It was a basilica, built on the ruins of a 
pagan temple. It resounded with the eloquence of Chrysos- 
tom, and met its fate (404) in the fire that followed the popular 
protest against his banishment for denouncing imperial sins. 

Theodosius, the same whom Ambrose shut out from the 
Cathedral at Milan, till he had done penance for the ruthless 



142 TURRET 

massacre at Thessalonica, built on the same site another church 
which lasted a century and a quarter till the days of Justinian, 
and it was burned with many other buildings at the time of the 
great Nika riots. 

This gave Justinian a ^^ tabula rasa*' to write his name on 
the city's history as a great builder. An angel is said to have 
revealed the plan to him in a dream, and the most skillful 
architect and engineer of the age, Anthemios of Tralles, was 
called to supervise the work. Contributions came from all 
classes and from all parts of the empire. The emperor laboured 
with the workmen, and angels were popularly believed to have 
aided them. Six years were spent in building, and on Christ- 
mas Eve of 537 the emperor, laying aside his crown, entered 
the completed edifice, exclaiming, ** Solomon, I have conquered 
thee." Externally, it is so surrounded by buttresses and sub- 
sidiary buildings, that it is not at all impressive. Within, even 
at present, one can begin to understand the enthusiasm of the 
ancient chroniclers. 

The great dome rises i8o feet from the floor, and the broad 
nave, almost square, gives a sense of dignity and spaciousness 
unsurpassed. Eight serpentine columns came from the temple 
of Diana at Ephesus, eight more of porphyry from the temple 
of the Sun at Baalbek. The building cost about ;?6, 000,000. 

Over the place of the altar in the arches, and in the vesti- 
bule on some of the gates, are still seen through Turkish 
whitewash the remains of Christian inscriptions and mosaics. 
To a soldier destroying the mosaics Mohammed the Conqueror, 
stretching him at his feet with a blow, said, '^Let these things 
be ; who knows but in another age they can serve another re- 
ligion than that of Islam." 

Legend also tells of a priest who was at worship when the 
invaders burst in. Taking the cross, he retired to a secret 
chamber, where be waits until he may come forth and resume 
his worship in '^ the most perfect and most beautiful church yet 
erected by any Christian people." 

But we must tear ourselves away from Sancta Sophia and 



CONSTANTINOPLE 14,3 

turn southwest to a place only less full of historical associations, 
<< Et Meidan," the site of the ancient Hippodrome. 

MONUMENTS OF THE HIPPODROME 

The so-called Spina was a wall about four feet high covered 
with statues and monuments. The race-course of the Hippo- 
drome passes completely around this long Spina, the point of 
starting the races being at the northern end of the wall. Nearly 
all the magnificent art bronzes that lined this Spina were melted 
down by the Crusaders to make coin, and the only remains of 
the bare and dusty oblong which once was the marvellous 
Hippodrome are the three famous columns in the middle. 

One of these is the Obelisk, sixty-one feet high, of Thotmes 
III., the greatest of the warrior kings of Egypt. Theodosius 
brought it from Heliopolis in 388, and set it up in the Hippo- 
drome, and had Latin and Greek inscriptions as well as scenes 
from the Hippodrome, carved on its base. 

Here also, half buried and quite headless, is the Serpent 
Column, made of bronze from the Persian booty of Platasa 
(479 B. Ce), which formerly supported a golden tripod for the 
oracle at Delphi, and which was brought to the city by Con- 
stantine. In its serpent coils are inscribed the names of thirty- 
one Greek cities, to whose devotion the deliverance of Greece 
from the Persian power was due. It is not known how the 
heads of the three serpents were broken off, save that according 
to the story previously related, one of them was destroyed by 
the mace of Mohammed the Conqueror. 

The third Column is the so-called Built Column, con- 
structed of masonry and once covered over completely with 
bronze plates, which however have long since been removed. 

In this connection it will be well to mention the Burnt 
Column, sometimes called the Column of Constantine, which 
stands near the site of the old Hippodrome. Tradition has it 
that the great emperor erected it in commemoration of the 
change of the capital from Rome to Constantinople. In its 
foundations were placed a piece of the alleged true Cross, dis- 



144 TURRET 

covered by Helena the mother of Constantine, as well as one 
of the nails used in the Crucifixion and a piece of the miracu- 
lous bread used in feeding the Five Thousand. If these ar- 
ticles were actually placed in the Column and alleged to be 
genuine, it shows how ancient was the practice of pious fraud, 
which has now grown to such tremendous proportions in Southern 
Europe and in the Orient. 

THE ANCIENT HIPPODROME 

The three Columns above mentioned, together with hun- 
dreds of statues and monuments that have long since been 
destroyed, occupied the middle of the ancient race-course. 
Around them, vast and magnificent, rose the amphitheatre that 
Serverus began and Constantine completed, adorning it lavishly 
with sculptures and bronzes from all parts of the empire. In 
later times statues were added until they became almost as 
numerous as the men that thronged the benches. 

Here were placed the four horses of gilded bronze, originally 
perhaps from Scio, once surmounting the arch of Trajan at 
Rome, brought here by Constantine, carried to Venice by 
Dandola, then to Paris by Napoleon, and finally after Waterloo 
restored to Venice to grace St. Mark's. 

At the north end of the long U-shaped amphitheatre was the 
Palace of the Kathisma or Emperor's Box. On either side 
at this end were the gates by which entered the rival racing 
factions, the Greens and the Blues, whose riots in 532 nearly 
dethroned the Emperor Justinian. A place for popular as- 
sembly, it afforded an opportunity for a display of public 
sentiment that sometimes made the autocrat tremble behind the 
grating of his box. The rivalries of the factions of the arena 
extended to politics and religion, and touched all public life. 

Here also it was that Belisarius came in splendid triumph 
with the captive Vandal king, the golden candlestick and holy 
vessels of the Temple at Jerusalem which the Vandals had cap- 
tured at Rome, being part of the spoils. Here Justinian II., 
the eastern Nero, returned from exile and set his foot upon the 



CONSTANTINOPLE 145 

neck of his rivals. Here Basil the kingly groom tamed the 
Arab horse and won the applause of the crowd that afterwards 
hailed him as the first Macedonian emperor. 

Here, too, Sultans held their fetes and celebrated their tri- 
umphs. On one side is the Museum of the Janissaries, 
full of the wooden ghosts of a bloody past, and on the other 
rises the Mosque of Ahmed I. with its six minarets, covering 
part of the sites of the Forum^ the Palace and the Hippodrome, 
the '* Masterpiece of the Mussulman's art" superseding the 
masterpieces of the ancient Empire. 

MOSQUES OF CONSTANTINOPLE 

The Mosque of Ahmed I., to which reference has 
just been made, often called the ^^ china mosque'' because of 
its decoration^ is the only one having six minarets. There was 
a great popular protest during its building, because of the al- 
leged sacrilege in imitating the six-minaret mosque in Mecca. 
Ahmed L, unwilling to change the architectural plans, avoided 
the difficulty by building a seventh minaret to the mosque in 
Mecca. 

Further away in the central part of the city on the summit 
of the fourth hill, is the Mosque of Mohammed the Con- 
queror, modelled after Sancta Sophia by a Christian architect. 
This is historically noteworthy as occupying the ancient Church 
of the Holy Apostles, — the mausoleum of the emperors, — 
which the Latins sacked and desecrated when they took the 
city. 

Further still, near the Adrianople Gate, is the Mosaic 
Mosque, once the Church of the Chora, its walls still covered 
with elaborate Christian mosaics. 

On the western edge of the great Bazaar is the mosque of 
Sultan Bayezid, with its innumerable pigeons in the court- 
yard that remind one of the Piazza in Venice. 

It may be doubted whether the tourist with a brief time at 
his disposal will find it profitable to visit any other mosques ex- 
cept those of Sancta Sophia and the Mosque of Ahmed I. It 



146 TURRET 

may not be amiss to give a reminder that the slippers (which 
are usually many sizes too large and will be hard to keep on) 
which are furnished at the entrance for a small fee, are abso- 
lutely necessary inside the mosques. 

The Treasury. — It is very desirable to get permission 
(granted from Yidiz palace, a privilege rarely extended) 
to see the Treasury on the Seraglio grounds. Among the 
notable gems and articles of gold is the Persian throne of 
beaten gold, inwrought with handfuls of rubies and emeralds, 
captured in 15 14 by Selim I. Near by is shown an emerald, 
as large as one's hand and said to be the largest in the world, 
to which Gen. Lew Wallace refers in his ^'Prince of India.'' 
Here is also a golden tankard, studded with over three thousand 
diamonds. 

In the gallery are the figures of the Sultans from 1451 to 
1839 in their gala robes, with jewelled feather in the turban 
and jewelled belt and dagger. The rubies and emeralds in the 
clasps of Ibrahim and Suleiman II are remarkably large. Al- 
together, it is an almost unequalled display of gems and gold 
barbaric, the spoil of centuries of oppression, the possessor of 
which is poorer than the humblest who looks at it, if he but be 
possessed of the love of his kind, of a good conscience and the 
respect of his fellows. 

Seraglio Grounds. — In the square before the principal 
gate of the Seraglio is the Fountain of Ahmed III, which is 
exquisite in design and ornamentation. The principal inscrip- 
tion reads, *' Turn the key of this pure and tranquil spring and 
invoke the name of God. Drink of this inexhaustible and 
limpid water and pray for the Sultan." Entering this ''Cold 
Fountain Gate," to the left, the road passes the Imperial 
School of Medicine and its Botanical Garden. The way to 
the right from the ^' Cold Fountain Gate " leads to the Imperial 
Ottoman Museum and the Court of the Janissaries, that 
powerful organization who were the Guardians of the Sublime 
Porte. At the north side of this court is the Orta Kapou, 
the double gates through which those who lost the favour of 



CONSTANTINOPLE 147 

the Sultan went to a chamber beyond to be executed. The 
visitor passes through this gate in going to the Treasury. 

An avenue of cypress trees leads across the court to the 
Gate of Felicity, which enters into one of the Palaces of 
the Sultan, where his harem has usually been kept. Here is 
the Throne Room built by Suleiman L, and decorated with 
fine arabesques, the golden throne occupying one end. This 
Palace can be inspected only by privileged visitors. 

The Imperial Ottoman Museum. — This Museum, 
housed in the buildings called the *' Chinili Kiosk. " in the Old 
Seraglio grounds, is of large importance and interest. It con- 
tains many archaeological treasures, notably the Sidon sar- 
cophagi, the finest in the world, and the tablets and other finds 
of recent excavations in the Euphrates Valley. It also has a 
great collection of Greco-Roman sculptures in statues and re- 
liefs, as well as some fine bronzes and terra-cottas. 

While it is impossible in our limited space to mention all 
these in detail, special attention is called to several noteworthy 
pieces of the collection : 

The SiLOAM Inscription, discovered in Jerusalem in 1880 
in the underground canal between the Virgin's Spring and the 
Pool of Siloam, is in pure Biblical Hebrew, and one of the 
oldest inscriptions known. Here is also the Jerusalem Stele, 
discovered near the Mosque of Omar in Jerusalem, warning 
Gentiles on penalty of their lives not to enter into the sacred 
enclosure of the Temple. 

There are several Sarcophagi of great interest, one being the 
Satrap Sarcophagus from Sidon, made of Persian marble in 
the form of a Greek temple. Another called The Weepers 
shows eighteen women, each in a different attitude of grief. 

The Alexander Sarcophagus, so called from a supposed 
representation of Alexander, is of Pentelic marble and is re- 
garded as perhaps the finest example of Greek art in exist- 
ence, especially in view of its remarkable state of preservation. 
It has carved upon it battle and hunting scenes of most exquis- 
ite design and workmanship. It seems to have been prepared 



148 TURRET 

for Alexander, but why he was not buried in it, and why it 
should have been found in a Sidonian burial cave, remains a 
mystery. 

The Tabnith Sarcophagus, which was found containing 
the withered Body of Tabnith, a Sidonian King, was probably 
made in Memphis about the fourth century b. c. and sent to 
Sidon. It has an inscription warning all persons to leave the 
Sarcophagus untouched. ^^ If you raise the cover, may you 
have no posterity among the living, nor any bed among the 
dead." 

The remains of the Old Walls will repay a visit, for much 
is left of the almost impregnable fortifications which Theodosius 
built from the Golden Horn to the Marmora, only thrice forced 
in sixteen centuries, and then only because of the hopeless 
weakness of the defense. From the site of the Palace of 
Blacherne on the Golden Horn, the residence of the emperors 
for the last four centuries (near which is the Jerusalem mon- 
astery where Bishop Byrennioe found the Didache), these walls 
extend across the hills to the notorious castle of the Seven 
Towers on the Sea, — the Ottoman Bastile. 

A visit to one of the great Subterranean Cisterns that 
supplied Constantinople with water during its sieges will prove 
interesting. One of them is ^^6 feet long and 182 feet wide, 
the roof resting on 336 columns, each thirty-nine feet high 
crowned with Corinthian capitals. The cistern gives the im- 
pressive effect of a great submarine cathedral. It is called the 
Yereh Batan Serai, or Basilica Cistern, and will be found 
near the west corner of the Place of St. Sophia, and is entered 
from the courtyard of a Turkish house. 

The Grand Bazaar is like a town in itself, full of laby- 
rinthian streets and lanes, overarched by numerous small 
cupolas, through which the sunlight never penetrates. The 
dim hazy light, the great crowds of strangely costumed people, 
the veiled women with their children attended by eunuchs, the 
bewildering variety of Oriental wares, all serve to make a novel 
and engrossing picture. 



CONSTANTINOPLE 149 

Here may be bought Oriental perfumes and cosmetics ; curi- 
ously shaped weapons, whose handles are often encrusted with 
gems and inscriptions from the Koran, together with others 
whose handles are beautifully carved in ivory, sandalwood and 
mother-of-pearl ; Persian rugs and shawls ; exquisite embroid- 
eries from the mountains of Syria and the cities of the Orient ; 
richly inlaid tables and stools ; ancient porcelains and brass 
ware; rare silks and fans of strange design and delicacy; 
costly jewels and gold and silver ornaments of infinite variety, 
— it seems as though the wealth of the Indias were concen- 
trated in these Bazaars. 

POLITICAL 

This political summary was written in December, 1922, and 
simply brings conditions up to this date. The situation at 
present is certainly full of foreboding. 

The story of developments since Abdul Hamid II was Sul- 
tan is a most extraordinary one. The so-called Young Turks, 
in their revolution, dethroned Abdul Hamid II and placed 
Mohammed VI on the throne. At first they had high ideals 
and seemed to desire to establish a government on democratic 
principles, but political jealousies and intrigues made this in- 
creasingly difficult. Gradually the principles of oligarchy and 
extermination were reestablished on a larger scale. 

After the Great War and the Sevres Treaty, which deprived 
Turkey of her possessions in Europe and part of these in Asia 
Minor, Mohammed VI and his government yielded abject 
submission. Mustapha Kemal Pasha, the new leader of the 
Young Turks, as a protest established an outlaw government, 
called the Angora government, in Anatolia, Asia Minor, al- 
though many believe the Constantinople government was in 
full cooperation. He gradually gathered a large army and de- 
feated the French who had a mandate in Cilicia. When the 
small French force at Mosul surrendered, an entire regiment of 
French soldiers was massacred. Because of France's preca- 
rious position, she made a treaty with the new Angora govern- 



150 TURRET 

ment to withdraw all her troops and to supply the Angora 
army with guns and military stores. Italy, also, because of 
her jealousy of Greece's growing influence in the Mediterra- 
nean, made a secret treaty, thus helping to defeat the Sevres 
Treaty, made by the Allies. It certainly was an unhappy 
commentary on the futility both of the Sevres Treaty and of 
the statement made to the United States on January loth, 
191 7, by the Allies, that one of the purposes of the war was 
** the liberation of the populations subject to the bloody 
tyranny of the Turks and the rejection out of Europe of the 
Ottoman Empire as foreign to Western civihzation/' 

The result was the defeat of the Greek army, disorganized 
by the inefficient government of King Constantine, as well as 
the burning of Smyrna and the massacre and deportation of 
hundreds of thousands of Greeks in Asia Minor. The victo- 
rious Kemalist army, having recovered full possession of Asia 
Minor, now proceeded to march against Constantinople, but 
in spite of the Turkish demand that the Allies withdraw, 
England stood her ground at Chanak and GaUipoli, so that the 
Turks did not venture to violate neutral territory and run 
amuck in Europe. The American Government, unfortunately, 
remained supine, in spile of the fact that all American schools, 
hospitals and churches in Turkey, except those at Constanti- 
nople, were immediately closed. 

The Allies consented to the demand of the Kemalists that 
European Turkey and Eastern Thrace should be restored. At 
the Lausanne Conference they also weakly assented to the 
Turkish ultimatum that the hundreds of thousands of Greeks 
in Thrace and European Turkey (Constantinople excepted), 
which resulted in widespread spoliation and death. 

The one hope is that the high-handed banishment of the 
former Sultan Mohammed VI and the selection of Abdul 
Medjid as the new Caliph of a nominal Republic, may antago- 
nize the Arab world as well as the Mohammedans in India, 
and thus prevent a general '' Holy War " uprising. 

The oil fields in Mosul and other parts of Mesopotamia are 




o 

w 

o 
u 

w 

O 



CONSTANTINOPLE 151 

the real source of contention. This property is claimed by 
eighteen out of the twenty-two heirs of the former Sultan, 
Abdul Hamid II ; but all the Allies, including the United 
States, are interested in getting possession. Commercial ad- 
vantage at present seems to be of greater moment than the 
claims of humanity. 

EDUCATION 

Of education, as it is carried on by the Turks, there is little 
to be said, because there is comparatively little of it. There 
are some elementary schools, almost wholly for boys, for the 
study of the Koran, and there are the rudiments of advanced 
schools in science, medicine and military training, the teachers 
being almost wholly foreigners. There are several American 
schools that have already begun to do a large work in the re- 
generation of the empire. 

Robert College. — On a most commanding position on the 
European side of the Bosphorus, a few miles north of the city, 
is Robert College. Just beyond and below is Roumeli 
HissAR, one of the most impressive looking castles in the 
world, a part of the fortifications which Mohammed the Con- 
queror built when preparing to take the city. Its foundations 
form the initial of the name of Mohammed. 

Robert College is also built for conquest on the eminence 
just above, and although its work will be slow, it will be none 
the less sure and complete. 

For over sixty years (the College was founded in 1863) 
Robert College has been doing a transforming work for the 
young men of the Turkish Empire. The enrollment in 1922 
was 605 students who were distributed as follows : Greeks, 
284; Armenians, 149; Moslems, %6 ', Jews, 38, and the rest 
scattering ; altogether there being nineteen nationalities repre- 
sented. There have been altogether 846 alumni together with 
over 4,000 partial course students. There are nine college 
buildings and fourteen residences. The total property value is 
$1,256,000 ; endowment fund is j^i, 762,000. 



152 TURRET 

As a result, perhaps two-thirds of the men of affairs in 
European Turkey are said to have received their education and 
aim in life at Robert College. The Young Turks are as a rule 
too indolent and too untrained to manage large interests. If 
the Greeks and Armenians are driven out of Constantinople, 
it would leave Turkish affairs in a very disorganized condi- 
tion. 

The story of its founding and of its development is a very 
fascinating one. The getting of the present magnificent site, 
after years of diplomatic effort, showed rare powers of foresight 
and statesmanship, though, after years of obstruction, the con- 
sent was finally given by the Sultan because he imagined that 
Admiral Farragut's presence in Constantinople and his interest 
in the matter indicated the purpose on the part of the United 
States to force the issue. 

The Constantinople Woman's College is situated 
near the site of Robert College and also represents a miracle of 
modern education among girls in the Near East. It has a 
teaching force (including native teachers) of sixty ; and the 
total valuation of its beautiful buildings is ^1,485,000, and there 
is a ^150, 000 medical college structure now building to train 
women physicians. The great need is for a sufficiently large 
endowment to carry on such an admirable work. There have 
been over 450 girls graduated — over half of these being teach- 
ers. The college was organized in 1871 and Dr. Mary Mills 
Patrick has been President for a number of years. 

The value of such work in the Orient as the Robert College 
and the Constantinople Woman's College is beyond computa- 
tion, and it speaks well for the influence of American Chris- 
tianity in these far-off countries. 

It should be added that there are many schools carried on in 
Constantinople and throughout Turkey largely by the mission- 
aries of the American Board of Foreign Missions. 

RELIGION 

The Sultan is not only the political autocrat, but the religious 



CONSTANTINOPLE 153 

head of Islam. According to Moslem law foreigners are al- 
lowed to live in Mohammedan lands only on the following con- 
ditions : 

''They shall not fomid churches or religious establishments, 
and must not set foot upon the territory of Mecca." 

But even as early as 1453 the conqueror Mohammed II saw 
that he could not enforce this law without getting rid of a very 
important part of his population, and greatly reducing his 
revenues. Therefore he issued an edict of toleration, by which 
non-Moslems received religious privileges, and it is under this 
act that Protestant missionaries are working. The new Kema- 
list government, however, threatens extreme restrictions. 

The Mohammedan Religion prevails and the muezzin's 
Call to Prayer at 5 a. m., i p. m., 3 : 30 p. m., 6 : 30 p. m. and 
8 : 30 p. M. is heard throughout the city. As tourists frequently 
have the opportunity of hearing this call, it will be of interest 
to know the translation, which is as follows : 

*< God is great. (Repeated four times.) 
I bear witness that there is no God but God. (Repeated twice.) 
Come to prayers, come to prayers, 
Come to salvation, come to salvation, 
God is great ; there is no other God but God." 

In the early morning the words are added, '^Prayers are 
better than sleep." 

It is a mistake to imagine that as soon as the call is sounded 
every Turk stops in the midst of the street or in the conduct of 
his business, or hurries to the nearest mosque that he may 
prostrate himself with his face towards Mecca to pray. The 
writer was fortunate to hear the muezzin call from the minarets 
of Sancta Sophia and Ahmed I. at the same time, and it 
seemed to produce no effect whatever upon the pedestrians 
and shopkeepers, and scarcely a score of persons entered the 
mosques. 

The Greek Orthodox Church has a patriarch in Con- 
stantinople, the other three patriarchs being located at Antioch, 



154 



TURRET 



Jerusalem and Alexandria. The Patriarch will probably be 
banished from Constantinople by the Turks. 

The Bulgarian Church, which is independent of the 
Greek, also has an Exarch or Ecclesiastical Head. Its Cathe- 
dral is at Balata, on the Golden Horn. The same is true of 
the two branches of the Armenian Church, the Gregorian 
Armenians having their Cathedral in Stamboul, and the 
Catholic Armenians in Pera. 

There is a Church of England, which holds services at 
10.30 A. M., in the Chapel of the British Consulate at Pera. 
There is also an Evangelical Union Church at Pera. Be- 
sides, in the city there is a Jewish Mission Chapel, a Free 
Church of Scotland Dispensary and School, the Bible 
Society, and other forms of Christian activity. 

The American Board (Congregational) started in Turkey 
in 181 9, and its work, though greatly hindered, has grown in 
both European and Asiatic Turkey. In Asiatic Turkey there 
are now 313 preaching stations and five colleges. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Money. — Turkish money is complicated, but can easily be 
learned. French and English money is also current. 

It should be noted that the smallest unit is the para, sl ten 
paras coin being equal to our cent. Forty of these paras make 
the piastre, equal to four cents. Five piastres make a cherek 
(sometimes called beshlik), equal to a franc or twenty cents. 
Twenty piastres make a medjidieh, equal to eighty cents. One 
hundred and eight piastres make a lira, equal to about ;?4.32. 
Of course these values have greatly depreciated. 

Varieties of coins : 

Bronze coins of ten and twenty paras, worth one and two 
cents. 

''Metallic*' coins of one and one-fourth piastres or fifty 
paras, worth five cents, and of two and one-half piastres or one 
hundred paras, worth ten cents. 

Silver coins are twenty paras, worth two cents ; forty paras, 



CONSTANTINOPLE 155 

worth four cents; a two piastre piece, worth eight cents; a 
five piastre piece (cherek or beshlik), worth twenty cents ; a 
ten piastre piece, worth forty cents, and a twenty piastre piece 
(medjidieh or mejedi), worth eighty cents. 

In gold there is the quarter lira (twenty-seven piastres), 
worth ^1.08; the half lira (fifty-four piastres), worth ^2.16, 
and the hra (one hundred and eight piastres), ^4.32. Great 
care should be exercised in getting correct change, and no gold 
should be exchanged except at a reputable bank. All worn 
and light coins should be refused. For facsimile representa- 
tions of Turkish coins, see Practical Hints under Egypt. 

Carriages. — These cost about fifteen piastres (sixty cents) 
an hour for a party, and for a day eighty piastres (^3.20). 
As Constantinople is such a large and confusing city, carriages 
are almost essential to rapid and effective sight-seeing. 

Purchases. — (See previously mentioned Grand Bazaar.) 
The caution should be repeated that time and patience are 
necessary for bargaining, as the tourist ought to pay little more 
than a third of the price first asked. Starting to go away will 
often bring an obdurate dealer to terms. Taking a guide 
will add somewhat to the price in the way of commission. 

Time. — The Turk begins counting time with sunrise. 

Language. — Next to Turkish, the French language is much 
used, and to a less extent German and English. 

Guides. — There are very few good guides. A guide-book 
and a driver who can understand the names of the places to be 
visited will usually answer all purposes. 

Hotels. — The Pera Palace Hotel is a good hotel, conducted 
by foreigners. Also Hotel Bristol, Continental de Londres, etc. 

Cafes. Tokatlian and Lebon in the Grand Rue de Pera. 

Bank. Credit Lyonnais, near the New Bridge, Galata. 



156 TURRET 

II— SMYRNA 

" Smyrna, thi Lovely, the Orna??ient of Asia J** 

SMYRNA, the chief city of Asia Minor, is 288 miles 
from Constantinople, and has a population of 225,000. 
Before the fire it had an indescribable beauty. The 
high range of mountains in the background, the gay-looking 
city with its tiled roofs and painted balconies, the minarets of 
its mosques and the spires of its Christian churches, the dark 
cypress groves and luxuriant gardens and the lovely Bay 
crowded with shipping, — all served to make a memorable pic- 
ture. 

It is as Charles Dudley Warner has characterized it, '* An 
Asiatic city with a European face ; it produces nothing and 
exchanges everything ; it is hospitable to all religions and con- 
spicuous for none ; and it is the paradise of the Turk, the 
home of luxury and of beautiful women.'* 

HISTORY 

Although so modern looking, Smyrna is one of the oldest cities 
in the Orient, It has been Asia Minor's chief commercial port, 
and during all the ages has been a synonym for wealth. It was 
first called Smyrna by the Amazons, who came from Ephesus. 
Later it was conquered by the ^olians, who made it a Greek 
city, of which there are still some ruined walls and tombs as 
well as sundry relics. 

Here, according to tradition. Homer was born, and the 
Homeric poetry flourished. In later years it became one of the 
thirteen cities which formed the Ionian confederacy. When it 
was conquered by Alexander the Great, he ordered a com- 
plete rebuilding upon a spot several miles distant, the site of 
the Smyrna of to-day. It became a prosperous city, with 
famous schools, splendid buildings and great wealth. 

Christianity from the first took deep root here, and Smyrna 



SMYRNA 157 

became one of the seven powerful Churches referred to in the 
second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation. Here 
Polycarp, the second bishop of Smyrna, suffered martyrdom^ 
but in spite of persecutions the Church flourished, and in the 
sixth century became the seat of an archbishop, having five 
bishoprics connected with it. 

After varying fortunes and prolonged conflicts between the 
Arabs and Turks on the one side, and the Knights of Rhodes 
(afterwards Knights of Malta) on the other, in 1403 it passed 
into the hands of the Turks, and has since remained, next to 
Constantinople, the largest and wealthiest city in the Ottoman 
empire. 

Smyrna has a number of times been almost reduced to ruins 
by earthquakes. This was especially true in the year 180 a. d., 
after which the v/recked city was entirely rebuilt by the Roman 
Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. The years 1688, 1788 and 1880 
also witnessed disastrous shocks, and scarcely a year passes 
without some seismic disturbances. 

COMMERCE 
Smyrna, with its beautiful harbour and its access to the in- 
terior of Asia, seems especially adapted for a large commercial 
centre. This favourable situation in the direct path of the 
commerce of the Mediterranean has through thousands of years 
made it a wealthy and prominent city. In the last fifty years, 
it had received special impetus from the presence of many 
Greeks and other Europeans, who were the chief factors in 
trade. The two railroads making easy access into the interior, 
which have been built by British capital, have had a large in- 
fluence in the promotion of commerce. About 1875 a French 
company constructed a quay along the front of the whole city, 
and there were built along this wharf a row of Europeanized 
hotels, warehouses and pubhc buildings that were all destroyed. 
The great fire of October, 1922, after its capture by the Kema- 
list Turks, and the banishment of all its Greeks, has been a 
tragic blow. Smyrna, however, is almost sure to be rebuilt 
and thus regain its former commercial supremacy, as it is the 
natural gateway to the Levant. 



158 TURRET 

But these progressive European methods have far from 
robbed Smyrna of its Oriental characteristics. Most of the 
merchandise still finds its way into the city on the backs of 
camels, and the streets are picturesque with these long trains 
of camels laden with rich goods. 

The chief products that are sold in Smyrna and exported 
over the whole world are figs, dates, raisins, opium, spices, 
sponges, emery, silks, and especially Oriental rugs, carpets and 
embroideries. 

SCENES OF INTEREST 

AWg. — The recent fire has not affected the chief sights, although the 
Bazaars were largely burned. 

A trip can be made to Mount Pagus, the Acropolis of 
Smyrna, by carriage. It will pass by interesting parts of the 
town, including the public buildings and City Prison, and the 
Turkish quarter. Beyond is the site of the ancient Theatre, 
originally a very large structure capable of seating 20,000 
spectators. At the northwest corner in a Turkish cottage may 
be seen the meagre remains of the Proscenium, and a vaulted 
entrance of solid masonry leading into the ancient orchestra. 
Little else but a natural hollow remains of the once magnificent 
building. 

Just beyond as one ascends the hill, the Stadium may be 
seen, showing merely the general outline. This Stadium which 
has now so nearly disappeared, is interesting because it was the 
place of the martyrdom of St. Polycarp, the second Bishop 
of Smyrna. His last words, when pressed to recant his faith 
in Christ have become famous, '^ Eighty and six years have I 
served Him and He has never done me wrong ; how then can 
I blaspheme my King that saved me? '* If we stop to remem- 
ber that Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John, it brings 
us very near to the time of our Lord. This was about the 
year 155 a. d., or perhaps several years later. 

The Turkish Santon among the cypress trees near by may 
reasonably be regarded as Polycarp's Tomb. History states 



SMTRNA 159 

that it was on the highway to Ephesus, just outside the city, 
and it is very likely that his people would desire to have his 
last remains buried as near as possible to the scene of his 
martyrdom. When we remember that Christianity continued 
to flourish in Smyrna through many centuries, and that there 
have always been representatives of the Christian Church 
there, it makes it easy to believe that this site, located here by 
the tradition of the earliest centuries, is authentic. 

Near by is the so-called Castle, of mingled Greek, Byzan- 
tine and Turkish architecture, which for 2,000 years has served 
as a fortress. The ruins in recent years have been much dis- 
mantled by the removal of some of the stones for building 
materials. 

No one should omit the View from Mount Pagus. It 
gives a fine panorama of the Gulf of Smyrna, thirty-four 
miles long, one of the finest Bays in the Mediterranean, the 
complete map of Smyrna and its environs, as well as all the 
adjacent country, and the range of fine mountains beyond 
including Mt. Olympus, 6,000 feet high. 

By another route the tourist can go to Caravan Bridge and 
Diana's Bath. The way passes through some of the prin- 
cipal streets of the city, past the Market, and on through the 
former Armenian quarter, and out to the Caravan Bridge. 
This bridge goes back to the time of the Romans 129 b. c, 
and was built as a part of a great highway. From here the 
road leads northeast past the Church of Constantine and the 
French Orphanage. This road was bordered in olden time 
with tombs and monuments, and many ancient Sarcophagi 
have recently been unearthed. 

Diana's Bath is a fine spring filling a reservoir built in 
1844, which supplies the city with water. 

There are remains of several Aqueducts in the immediate 
vicinity of Smyrna, the one a Turkish structure something over 
two hundred years old, and another of Byzantine construc- 
tion, still showing in its ruins how it crossed the river. The 
oldest and most interesting is the Roman, which was built the 



i6o rURKET 

third century before Christ, and brought water to Smyrna from 
a spot fifteen miles to the east. 

The Bazaars have been so largely destroyed and their res- 
toiation is so uncertain that it is scarcely worth commenting 
on what was formerly Smyrna's most distinguishing feature. 

THE TURKISH CONQUEST 

The effect of the defeat of the Greek Army by the Kemalists 
is somewhat problematical and not at all reassuring. It re- 
sulted in the consequent burning of Smyrna and the deporta- 
tion of all Greeks and other Christian minorities from Asia 
Minor, The immediate result will be to paralyze the commer- 
cial and philanthropic activities for decades to come. The 
Turk does not easily adapt himself to business and administra- 
tive efficiency, heretofore carried on by Greeks and Armenians. 

The story of the Greek collapse is a very striking one. After 
the clever diplomacy of Venizelos had resulted in making 
Greece a Mediterranean power, the volatile restlessness of the 
Greeks caused the retirement of Venizelos and the return of 
the banished King, Constantine. The blundering administra- 
tion of the latter, which included putting General Papoulos, 
who had previously been in a sanitorium suffering from hallu- 
cinations, at the head of the army, occasioned the complete 
disorganization of the Greek Army in Asia Minor. Kemal by 
his shrewd manipulation had enlisted the cooperation of both 
France and Italy, while Great Britain failed to give Greece the 
expected support, in view of the fact that Greece was further- 
ing England's commercial interest. The result was, that the 
Greek Army, unpaid, underfed, and poorly equipped, made a 
poor bulwark to the Turkish onrush. The almost complete 
destruction of the Greek Army, the massacres and deportations 
of all Greeks in Asia Minor were the inevitable result. The 
fact that the Greek Government rashly executed six of its 
prominent army officials and banished Prince Andrew, the 
brother of Constantine, only aggravated the difficulties, since 
the British Minister, as a protest, immediately withdrew from 
Greece, thus alienating British friendship. 



SMYRNA i6i 

The effect of this Turkish victory, on the other hand, served 
to give prestige and confidence to world-wide Islam. How far 
Kemars spectacular success may influence the Arabs of Meso- 
potamia and the Mohammedans of India, as well as the Moors 
of Northern Africa, to shake off Christian domination remains 
a question. The fact that the Allies are not in complete har- 
mony and that the United States refuses to assert itself as a 
World Power, may lead to a possible war between the Chris- 
tian powers and the countries maintaining the faith of Islam. 

RELIGION AND SCHOOLS 

The conflagration of early October, 1922, destroyed many 
of the buildings and churches which have been a conspicuous 
feature of religious work in Smyrna. These include the 
schools and churches of the American Mission, the English 
Church and the Scotch Mission which maintained a hospital 
and training school for nurses. 

The International College at Smyrna, under the general 
direction of the American Mission, fortunately has its splendid 
buildings at Paradise, a suburb of Smyrna, and they escaped 
the ravages of the Smyrna fire. Dr. Alexander MacLachlan, 
who has been its president for over thirty years, had a very 
narrow escape, having been robbed and beaten by the Turks. 

The Collegiate Institute for Girls had its buildings in 
Smyrna itself and they suffered complete destruction, although 
all the teachers escaped with their lives. The work of these 
splendid institutions, as well as that of the churches and 
schools of the American Mission, has necessarily been entirely 
interrupted, but when conditions are more favourable they will 
undoubtedly be reestablished. 

It is one of the tragedies of the new Moslem Renaissance 
that work of this kind, that has been of immense value to the 
Levant, has suffered unfortunate eclipse. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 
Money. — This is the same as at Constantinople. French 
and English money are also current. 



i62 rURKET 

Carriages. — The cost is according to bargaining. The 
drivers are untrustworthy, and definite agreements should be 
made. 

Climate. — In February and March the climate is perfect. 

Purchases. — See under heading of Bazaar. 

Ill — EPHESUS 

" I will remove thy candlestick out of its place, ^"^ — Rev. 2:5. 

THE distance between Smyrna and Ephesus by rail- 
road is forty-eight miles, and there are comfortable 
compartment cars over a well-built railway. Most of 
the route is along a pleasant valley, which marks the highway 
which has been traversed between Smyrna and Ephesus from 
time immemorial. It is a dehghtful trip at the season in which 
Ephesus is usually visited, with green verdure and blooming 
fruit-trees, the peasants busy in their fields, numerous caravans 
of camels moving along the road, and the novelty and variety 
of an Oriental landscape visible on every hand, 

HISTORY 

Ephesus existed as a city from prehistoric times, hav- 
ing been occupied by Carians and Phoenicians long before 
the Greeks took possession. Alexander and his successors 
brought it into great prominence as a Greek centre, by the 
building of magnificent public buildings, theatres and temples. 
After the Romans gained possession the city became even more 
prosperous, becoming the capital and chief commercial mart of 
all Asia. There are abundant ruins to show that it was one of 
the greatest and most magnificent of ancient cities. 

In 263 a. d. the Goths took the city and plundered and des- 
troyed the Temple of Diana. Christianity, which had gained 
a strong ascendency, continued to flourish in the city that had 
known the ministry of St. Paul, St. Timothy and St. John. 
Six councils assembled within its walls, and here at the third 



EPHESUS 163 

Ecumenical Council in 431 the Virgin Mary was proclaimed 
*' the mother of God." 

After Constantinople became the capital of the eastern em- 
pire, trade began to leave Ephesus and converge to the new 
channel. The population decreased, the magnificent harbour 
which had been connected with the sea by a great artificial 
canal, gradually filled up and the town fell into a hopeless 
decay. In 11 16 it passed into the hands of the Turks. 

THE RUINS 

The course here suggested is to go to the more distant ruins 
of Ephesus first, leaving the nearer and more accessible ruins of 
the Temple of Diana at Ayasoluk for the end of the trip. 

On leaving the station, one passes along the Byzantine 
Aqueduct with its high pillars, past the Public Fountain 
and the Cave of the Seven Sleepers and enters the ancient 
town itself through the Gates of Magnesia. 

On our immediate right are the ruins of a Gyimnasium, and 
beyond a trench full of white marble blocks shows the remnants 
of a Roman Temple. To the west of this and a little lower is 
the Circular Temple, erroneously called the Tomb of St. 
Luke. Further on are the ruins of the Wool Market, as is 
evidenced by an inscription found here. Next is ihe Odeon 
or Singing Hall with its white marble proscenium and red 
granite columns. 

Passing the ruins of a Byzantine Church and the Agora 
or Market-place, and the remnants of a great Roman Temple 
supposed to be that of Claudius, we come to the great Theatre. 

The Theatre.— Here the traveller can stand upon the 
proscenium and bring to mind the thriUing scene so vividly 
recorded in the nineteenth chapter of the Acts. One can see 
Demetrius the silversmith, fearful that the new teaching of St. 
Paul would turn the minds of the people away from his little 
temple models, shouting at the head of the riot which he had 
fomented, ^^ Great is Diana of the Ephesians." Here stood 
Paul, for two hours trying to make himself heard against the 



i64 TURRET 

furious and howling mob, which was at the last appeased only 
by the authority of the town clerk. Here were found many 
inscriptions of interest, but unfortunately none of the metal 
models of the temple made by the industrious Demetrius. 
The Theatre was perhaps the largest in Asia capable of seating 
over 25,000 persons. 

The elaborate excavations which were here made by Mr. T. 
F. Wood (see his ^^Ephesus and the Temple of Diana"), as 
well as by some Austrian archaeologists, show a number of 
wide thoroughfares leading to the harbour, which had a splen- 
did Quay and a Colonnade. Near here also stood a Mar- 
ket Hall, the Roman Agora and a Marble Hall, all of 
which were probably destroyed by the Goths in their victory 

263 A. D. 

Several other ancient ruins are the Greek Tower or Prison 
of St. Paul, the Double Church in which the Third Ecumen- 
ical Conference (431) was held, the Stadium, with its fine re- 
mains and the PRiETORiUM. 

The Artemisium or Temple of Diana, was one of the 
most magnificent structures of ancient times, and one of the 
seven wonders of the world. Pliny tells us that it was 425 
feet long and 225 wide, and that 127 columns gave support to 
the roof. Only the remains of the substructure and of the 
pavement are now left, and a great mass of marble fragments. 
The most noteworthy objects discovered are now in the British 
Museum. 

Other objects of interest are the Great Mosque, the im- 
pressive ruin called the Gate of Persecution, which in Jus- 
tinian's time was the entrance to the citadel, and the ruins of 
the Cathedral of St. John, 



^ 



STRIJ and PALESTINE 

Including Beirut^ Damascus^ Baalbek^ Galilee^ 

Samaria^ Jaffa^ yerusalem and "Judea 

Statistical Information : — 

SYRIA UNDER Treaty of Peace, August id, 1920, 

IS recognized as an independent State under French 

MANDATORY. FoUR DISTRICTS: AlEPPO, DAMASCUS, 

Alaonite and Lebanon. Area, 6o,ogo square miles. 
Population nearly 3,000,000. Principal towns: 
Damascus, 250,000; Aleppo, 250,000; Beirut, 180,000. 
Population MAINLY Moslem, but 150,000 Druses. 

Revenue, £3,878,841. Expenditures, £1,953,855. 
Chief exports: wheat, olive oil, wine, tobacco, 
fruits and live stock. 

There are 500 French schools with 50,000 pupils. 
American and British Missionary Schools are doing 
large work. Conspicuous is the American Univer- 
sity AT Beirut. Roman Catholics have schools with 

ABOUT 20,000 pupils. 

PALESTINE : — A Civil Administration now 
RULES, WITH Sir Herbert L. Samuel as High Com- 
missioner. An advisory Council of four Moslems, 
THREE Christians and three Jews represent various 
communities. The Jewish population has an 
Elected Assembly to represent them in dealings 
WITH Administration. The British Government and 
THE Palestine Administration recognize the World 
Zionist Organization. Area, 9,000 square miles. 
Population (1921), 770,000, of whom 600,000 are 
Moslems, 80,000 Jews, 84,500 Christians. Seven dis- 
tricts: Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, Nazareth, Nablus, 
Gaza, Beersheba. 

Justice administered in Magistrate Courts in 
all sub-districts, and by four district courts and 
A Court of Appeal largely controlled by Great 
Britain. 

Revenue (1921), £E.2,2i4,o74. Expenditures, 
££.2,214,074. Imports (1921), ££.5,216,633. Ex- 
ports, ££.771,701. 

In Schools: Moslems, 110,000; Christians, 12,500; 
Jews, 12,000. 

Railways, 625 miles. 

165 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

" People of Palestine/' A. M. Hyamson. Knoph, '19. 

'* Tpie Holy Land, Before and After World War/' 
Roxburgh Pub., 1920. 

'' A Pilgrim in Palestine," J. H. Finley. Scribner, 
1919. 

'' Syria and the Holy Land," G. A. Smith. Doran, 
1918. 

'* Jerusalem, Past and Present," G. G. Atkins. Re- 
vell, 1918. 

*'The New Jerusalem," G. K, Chesterton. Doran, '21. 

*' Church of the Holy Sepulchre," G. H. E. Jeffery. 
Putnam, 1919. 

'' Jerusalem," P. Loti. Stokes, 1920. 

'' A Pilgrim in Jerusalem," O. H. Parry. Macmil- 
lan, 1921. 

" New Paths Through Old Palestine," M. Slat- 
tery. Pilgrim Press, 192 1. 

" Home of Fadeless Splendour (Palestine To-day)," 
G. N. Whellingham. Button, 192 1. 

" Nile and Jordan," G. Knight. Pilgrim Press, 1921. 

'' Palestine and Syria," K. Baedeker. Scribner, '12. 

'' Spell of the Holy Land," A. Bell. Page, 1915. 

" Journalist in the Holy Land," A. E. Copping. 
Revell, 1912. 

" Camera Crusade Through the Holy Land," D. L. 
Elmendorf. Scribner, 1912. 

'' Palestine Depicted and Described/' G. E. Frank- 
lin. Dutton, 191 1. 

*' The Land of the Prophets," A. H. Heusser. 
Crowell, 1916. 

*' Mediterranean Idylls," M. Hoyt. Badger, 1913. 

" Real Palestine of To-day," L. G. Leary. Winston, 
1911. 

" Religions of Modern Syria and Palestine," F. J. 
Bliss. Scribner, 1912. 

'' The Syrian Christ," A. M. Ribany. Houghton, '16. 

'* Zionism and the Jewish Future," H. Sacher. 
Macmillan, 1916. 

" Story of Jerusalem," C. M. Watson. Dutton, '12. 

'' Jerusalem," P. Loti. McKay, 1916. 

'' Jerusalem," S. O. L. Lagerlop. Doubleday. 

" Palestine of the Jews," N. Bentwich. Dutton, '19. 

166 



I— BEYROUT OR BEIRUT 

BEYROUT is an important seaport town, at which 
Mediterranean Cruises often stop. Although largely 
European in its characteristics it has attractive Oriental 
features and an unusually fine location and lovely environs. 

HISTORY 

Beyrout first came into prominence under Alexander the 
Great, who captured it from the Phoenicians. He made it an 
important seaport and commercial city. It was afterwards 
taken by the Romans and given the name of Berytus after the 
daughter of the Emperor Augustus. Herod the Great embel- 
lished the city with many public buildings, and its trade, espe- 
cially in the manufacture and exportation of silks, assumed 
large proportions. In 529 a. d. the town was almost wholly 
destroyed by an earthquake, and has never since attained its 
previous grandeur. In 625 it was taken by the Moslems, but 
in 1 1 25 it was captured by the Crusaders, who maintained 
possession until the battle of Hattin, which drove them from 
Syrian soil. The town has greatly increased in size and im- 
portance during the last forty years, mainly through the influ- 
ence of the considerable European population, and the work of 
the American missionaries. 

The Commercial Importance of Beyrout may be seen from 
the fact that over 3,000 vessels enter the port annually. Its 
exports of silks, olive oil, licorice, fruit, sponges, etc., aggregate 
about ^11,000,000. 

THE CITY 

The population is 180,000, including 40,000 Moslems, 50,- 

167 



i68 PALESTINE 

ooo Christian Arabs, together with Europeans, Jews, Ar- 
menians, etc. The city has an attractive location on the hill 
slopes facing the sea, surrounded by plains full of luxuriant 
gardens, and having behind it a fine range of mountains 
crowned with the snow-clad peak of the Sannin (8,555 f^^O- 
The cUmate is mild and genial, without frost in winter, and 
largely tempered by fresh sea breezes in summ.er. 

There is less of the characteristic life of the Orient here than 
in almost any other Eastern city, on account of the fact that the 
Europeans dominate all trade and public affairs. There is al- 
most nothing of special interest, although it certainly is a charm- 
ing and progressive city. The new portions, together with the 
various suburbs, have beautiful villas, surrounded by lovely 
subtropical gardens. The many different drives in the environ- 
ments have extensive views in which the luxuriant orange and 
lemon trees, sycamores and palms play not a small part. 

The main interest attending a visit to Beyrout is in connec- 
tion with the magnificent schools and colleges, especially those 
which are associated with the American Mission. In 
fact, Churches and Institutions are a prominent factor in the 
life of the city, and this accounts very largely for its progressive- 
ness and advancement. There are six hospitals, twenty-three 
mosques (none worthy of a special visit), thirty-eight Christian 
churches, with sixty -five schools for boys having 6,700 scholars, 
and twenty-nine schools for girls with 4,100 scholars. That 
the Moslems have been greatly influenced by the educational 
atmosphere is shown by the fact that of the schools mentioned 
the Moslems control twenty-three boys' schools with 2,100 
scholars, and four girls' schools with 550 scholars. It is cer- 
tainly noteworthy that the Moslems have wakened to the im- 
portance of educating their girls. As a result the proportion of 
persons who cannot read or write is very small throughout the city. 

The fact that there are twenty printing plants, and a number 
of newspapers, including twelve printed in Arabic, also goes to 
show the rapid progress in general intelligence. 

The Greek, Roman and Maronite Churches are very strong 



BETROUr 169 

and all have their archbishops or bishops, together with impos- 
ing cathedrals and churches. 

THE AMERICAN MISSION 

The American Mission, under the auspices of the Presby- 
terian Church of the United States, has been labouring in 
Syria with marked success since 1821. Many able and prom- 
inent scholars and scientific men have been connected with 
the Mission including Doctors Eli Smith, Van Dyke, Thom- 
son, Jessup, Post, Dennis and Bliss. With this Mission is as- 
sociated the American University of Beirut, which has taken a 
high place among the institutions of advanced learning through- 
out the world. This college was founded in 1866, and has at 
present over one thousand students, eighty-seven professors and 
3,280 graduates. It has a campus of forty acres and twenty- 
six elaborate buildings; the entire property being valued at 
|i, 007,000, besides endowments of ^1,117,000. It has facul- 
ties and schools of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, 
commerce, agriculture and engineering. English is the lan- 
guage of the institution. 

The new President (elected Oct,, 1922), the third since the 
founding of the College, is the Rev. Bayard Dodge, who suc- 
ceeds his late lamented father-in-law, Dr. Howard S. Bliss, 
who in turn was the successor of his father, Dr. Daniel Bliss. 
The College is doing a monumental work in helping to trans- 
form the Orient, and Americans have a right to be proud of 
their representatives. 

The American Mission has a number of churches and schools 
in Beyrout, including a Girls' Seminary and an extensive print- 
ing plant. They also maintain successful missionary centres in 
every part of Syria, there being several hundred schools with 
over 10,000 pupils. Any one, even the most confirmed sceptic 
and cynic, who will give this work careful study, cannot fail 
to be impressed with the uplifting and enlightening influences 
of such Christian activity. 

The British Syrian Mission Schools and Bible Work 



ijo PALESTINE 

has thirteen schools in Beyrout with over 1,200 scholars, m- 
cluding classes for the blind. This Mission has in Syria alto- 
gether thirty-eight schools with 2,500 pupils, and is doing as 
well a general Missionary work. 

The Church of Scotland Jewish Mission has been estab- 
lished since 1864 and devotes itself especially to the education 
of the young among the Jews. The Hospital of the Prus- 
sian Order of St. John, and the Orphanage and Boarding 
School of the Kaiserwerth Deaconesses, both under Ger- 
man auspices, are doing most admirable work. 



II— DAMASCUS 

" The oldest city in history, ^^ 

THE distance from Beyrout to Damascus is ninety 
miles by railroad, leading through the picturesque 
x\nti-Lebanon mountains, the highest railroad altitude 
being 4,610 feet. The speed made by the little narrow-gauge 
train is not a record-breaking one, it usually requiring nine 
hours to cover the distance. 

Damascus is the largest city in Syria with a population which 
is estimated at about 225,000. It has been a flourishing city 
from the remotest times. The Jews, the Egyptians, the Greeks, 
the Romans, the Arabs, and the Turks have shared in making 
its history. 

In i860 the Turkish authorities connived at a great massacre 
of Christians, about 6,000 being slain in Damascus alone. So 
great was the indignation of Europe, that the governor, Ahmed 
Pasha, and other conspirators, were tried by the Turkish gov- 
ernment and beheaded. Christian Europe since the World 
War, however, has become so callous to Turkish massacres, 
that little attention is paid to the recent slaughter of hundreds 
of thousands of Greeks and Armenians. 




Q 
W 

u 

H 



DAMASCUS 171 

DESCRIPTION 

Damascus has come down through history with a glamour of 
romance as a very Paradise of luxury and beauty. Part of this 
is due to the fact that it is entirely surrounded by gardens and 
groves, which certainly give a magnificent setting to the picture 
as viewed from some adjoining mountain-top. It must be con- 
fessed that it is hard for people from the Occident, accustomed 
to the utmost profusion of nature's resources, to share in the en- 
thusiasm of the Arabs, more accustomed to the bleak and sterile 
desert. It should be said that as Damascus has an altitude of 
2,260 feet, Spring is correspondingly late, and travellers who 
see Damascus in March or April do not see it in its floral 
prime. 

The Climate, which is excessively hot in the summer, is 
very pleasant in the spring, although the traveller should guard 
against the sudden chill that follows the setting of the sun. 
The water is impure and the drinking of water that has not 
been thoroughly boiled should be avoided. Malaria and inter- 
mittent fever are very common, aided doubtless by the filth of 
the city streets. Modern ideas of sanitation and civic im- 
provement are, however, beginning to be evident under the 
French administration. 

There are three distinct Quarters, the Jewish, the Christian 
and the Mohammedan. It is said that there is no other city 
where customs have changed so little during the ages. The 
Jews are as nearly like those of the time of Paul as can be im- 
agined in customs, in dress and in prejudices. Scarcely any 
other people in the world, unless it be the small Samaritan sect 
at Schechem (Nablous), has adhered so tenaciously to the very 
letter of the law. The quarter in which they Hve has not 
changed and even when a new house is built, it is made iden- 
tical to the one upon whose foundations it is erected. It is safe 
to say that nowhere in Palestine can the manners and customs 
of the old-time Hebrews be studied so well as at Damascus. 

The Moslems are also very tenacious of their religion and 
their institutions. Without having parted with their bigotry 



172 PALESTINE 

and their pride, they seem to have lost all taste for industry but 
have kept their courage in warfare. What is true everywhere 
under the rule of the Turks is true here, namely, all the learn- 
ing and culture that gave the Moslems such greatness a few 
hundred years ago have almost absolutely vanished. 

The commercial spirit still prevails, and it is as old as the 
city itself. When Egypt was still young, Damascus had trade 
with China and the nations of central Asia. The commerce of 
to-day is falling largely into the hands of the Jews and Greeks 
because they have the more enterprise, but the Mohammedan 
merchants are much more trustworthy. 

The Government of the city was honeycombed with corrup- 
tion, and its system of taxation under the Turks was little more 
than legalized robbery. Hence even the large mansions had 
very plain and unattractive exteriors, in order not to excite the 
cupidity of the authorities. Under French rule and self-gov- 
ernment, some of these evils have been eliminated. There is 
some indication at present that the French will withdraw and 
give the Syrians complete self-government. 

INTERESTING SIGHTS 

There are no public buildings, partly from lack of public 
spirit and partly on account of the impoverished condition of 
the looted treasury. In fact there are almost no great char- 
acteristic sights, and yet its striking Oriental scenes make Da- 
mascus one of the most attractive of cities. 

The Mosque of Amayyade (apply to Consulate for serv- 
ices of competent Kawass, fee quite moderate) is one of the 
oldest and, outside of Constantinople and Jerusalem, the grand- 
est of all Mohammedan places of worship. It is probable that 
once a heathen temple stood here, replaced in the early Chris- 
tian centuries by a Church named after John the Baptist. The 
Mosque that succeeded it retained the name, and it is asserted 
that the head of the Forerunner is still preserved beneath the 
shrine in the centre of the Mosque. During the Middle Ages, 
this Mosque was so widely admired that genii were popularly 



DAMASCUS 173 

believed to have assisted in its building. Greek architects 
were employed and 1,200 skilled artisans were brought from 
Constantinople. The pillars were of the rarest marble, and 
precious stones and mosaics were lavishly used, and from the 
lofty ceiling hung 600 golden lamps. Two disastrous fires, 
the one in 1069 and a recent one in 1893, have destroyed much 
of its magnificent decorations. 

The Mosque is 429 feet long and 129 feet wide, and its 
columns are 23 feet high. Over the central entrance the words 
of the original Church, in Greek characters, may still be seen, 
*^Thy Kingdom, O Christ, is an everlasting kingdom and Thy 
dominion endureth through all generations," taken from the 
145th Psalm, with the words ''O Christ '' interpolated. This 
impresses the Christian visitor as a prophecy of the time when 
this place shall again be used for Christian worship and the en- 
tire nation shall acknowledge the Messiah. 

The interior has been partially restored and is very im- 
pressive. Four great columns sustain the dome, which is 1 20 
feet high and 100 feet in circumference, the interior surface 
being ornamented with fine mosaics and ornamental texts from 
the Koran. Handsome rugs cover the marble floor, and the 
alabaster pulpit and the filagree ornamentation evident on every 
side serve to enrich this splendid example of pure Saracenic 
architecture. 

Every visitor should ascend the southwest minaret, partly 
because it is of a most graceful and artistic design, and chiefly 
because from its galleries a superb view of Damascus and its 
environs can be had. 

The Street called Straight, the Wall where Paul 
was let down in a basket, and the House of Ananias, have 
of course no historical evidence to substantiate them. The 
Street called Straight, however, may be in part identical 
with the one in Paul's day, especially as for many centuries it 
has been one of the widest and the most important in the city. 

Just outside the Omayyade Mosque is the Tomb of Saladin, 
the great Conqueror, who almost annihilated the Knights in the 



174 PALESTINE 

last struggle at the foot of the Horns of Hattin in Galilee, 
which witnessed the end of the Crusaders* possession of the 
Holy Land. In the little structure, a small company of Mo- 
hammedan priests perpetually pray for his soul, not, as they say, 
because he needs the prayers but as an act of homage. 

The Bazaars are the great attraction of Damascus, being 
more purely Oriental than those of Constantinople or Cairo. 
They seem almost without limit, and the goods displayed are 
bewildering in their variety and novelty. But even here the 
machine-made articles imported from Europe are beginning to 
supplant the hand-made goods of the Orient, and great care 
should be exercised in selecting the genuine. Here one can 
see the Horse Market and Saddle Booths, the Coppersmiths' 
Bazaar where the clatter indicates that the articles sold are 
made on the premises ; the Second-hand Bazaar for old clothes 
and antique firearms ; the Greek Bazaar, where weapons, car- 
pets, shawls and every manner of antiquities are displayed, in- 
cluding '' Damascus '' weapons gaudily ornamented, made from 
poor steel imported from Germany. The cloth Bazaar (goods 
imported largely from Europe), the Booksellers' shops (small 
and poorly patronized), the Silk Bazaar, the Tobacco Bazaar, 
the Goldsmiths' Bazaar and every possible phase of merchan- 
dising may here be seen in their Oriental setting. 

People who like to have their nerves put on the rack have 
the opportunity to see (and hear ! ) the Howling and 
Dancing Dervishes, who are here in their glory and are al- 
ways ready to exhibit to visitors their religious devotion for the 
price of admission. In the public caf^s and in the cheap 
and poorly- ventilated Vaudeville theatre, various dances and 
acrobatic performances are given. 

Outside of the city there is a villa once filled with Turkish 
Exiles, whom Abdul Hamid deported because under suspicion. 
But under the new Turkish regime in Constantinople the old 
method of banishment has given way to a more expeditious 
method of disposing of political offenders. Better things, how- 
ever, may be hoped from Syria under the present government. 







4'- 




^.^^A.,m1 m^^ 



THE HOUSE OF NAAMAN AT DAMASCUS 

THE WALL WHERE PAUL WAS LET DOWN IN A BASKET 
THE ROPE WEAVERS--MUD WALLS ON THE RIGHT 



DAMASCUS 175 

RELIGION 

Damascus is a hotbed of contending fanatical sects, and 
offers a discouraging field to missionary enterprise. Not only 
the Mohammedans, the Jews and the Greeks are arrayed 
against one another, but there are various contending subdivi- 
sions. Such fanatical sects as the Druses and the Kurds, who 
hold the Mohammedan faith, and the Maronites, a bigoted sect 
of the Syrian Church, give little hospitality to Christian doc- 
trine. There are said to be 284 mosques in the city, of which 
seventy-one have regular services. Most of them formerly 
sustained schools, but education among Mohammedans has in 
recent years been woefully neglected. 

Few American families, with the exception of missionary 
workers, reside here. Dr. Crawford lived here for nearly half 
a century, but few converts have been made among the Mo- 
hammedans or the Jews. There is a Protestant Church 
here with 144 members, but it is made up almost wholly of 
converts from the Greek Church. Still, some advance has been 
made along the line of educational and medical work. The 
British Syrian Mission has four schools and a blind asylum, 
and there is a school for girls with sixty scholars. In the neigh- 
bourhood of Damascus there are ten congregations of Protestants 
with schools taught by native teachers. The Roman Catholics 
and Orthodox Greeks are also active in religious and educa- 
tional work. 

There is a small daily paper published in Damascus. For- 
merly its issues were very spasmodic under Turkish control, 
owing to the constant interference of the Turkish censor. 

Damascus now has direct railroad connection with Haifa as 
well as with Beyrout. This expedites present travel amazingly. 
The cars, as a rule, are quite comfortable. There is also a rail- 
road from Damascus to Medina and Mecca, wholly for the 
purpose of carrying pilgrims to those sacred shrines. It passes 
through 1,500 miles of sterile country, in which scarcely a 
green thing or a living creature can be seen for the entire dis- 
tance. 



176 PALESTINE 

BAALBEK 

Baalbek, according to tradition, has the names of Cain, 
Nimrod, Abraham and especially Solomon connected with it, 
the latter making this a strong city to compete with Damascus 
because the latter would not acknowledge his sovereignty. To 
please some of his heathen wives, he built a Temple to Baal, 
from which the name Baalbek, ** Seat of Baal '* was derived. 

Baalbek has now about five thousand people and has no 
special significance to the traveller, save through the ruins of 
the magnificent temples upon its Acropolis. 

Unfortunately the Turks have partially caused these stu- 
pendous ruins to collapse during the last few years, in order to 
get the iron bands and supports which held the structures to- 
gether. They have also adapted part of these ruins in building 
fortifications, and thus destroyed much of their distinctive out- 
line and character. The German Emperor while on his visit 
here in 1898, was so impressed, that he obtained a special 
firmin to allow him to have the ruins restored, and consider- 
able advance has been made in this direction. The per- 
mission to visit the Acropolis is obtained at the Serai, fee 
being expected. It is also desirable to secure a Kawass or 
guide. 

The Great Temple is in such a ruinous condition that it is 
difficult to distinguish its original form and character. This 
much is clear that it consisted of a Portico approached by a 
flight of steps, of an immense Main Court, 441 x 369 feet, sur- 
rounded by rows of columns with niches for statues, and of 
the Great Temple itself, of which little remains. 

Something of the great size and grandeur of the Great 
Temple is indicated by the six Columns of the Peristyle, sixty 
feet high, with Corinthian capitals. The shafts are seven and 
a half feet in diameter, in three pieces, held together by iron 
clamps which excited the Turkish cupidity. Originally the 
peristyle had eighteen of these columns on either side and ten 
at each end. 




THE LARGEST STONE EVER END VIEW OF THE STONE 
QUARRIED, BAALBEK 

A CAMEL TRAIN IN THE LEBANONS 
DETAIL OF OUR OWN TRAIN CROSSING THE 

BAALBEK TEMPLE LEBANON MOUNTAINS 

GENERAL VIEW OF BAALBEK RUINS 



BAALBEK 177 

The Temple of the Sun, which stands near by, is smaller 
than the Great Temple, but is in a better state of preservation. 
It is on a lower level than the Great Temple, and is not con- 
nected with it. It had no court, the approach being directly 
by a stairway flanked with heavy walls, now somewhat hidden 
by the Turkish fort. 

The Peristyle had fifteen columns fifty-two feet high, at 
either side, and eight at either end, and these still sustain a 
magnificent entablature with a splendid double frieze. There 
are abundant evidences of extraordinary ornamentation and of 
an elaborately carved ceiling and great niches containing the 
busts of emperors and gods. 

The Portal is the most elaborately executed part, lavishly 
decorated with garlands and figures of genii, and on the lintel 
with the figure of an eagle, probably the symbol of the sun. 
Near by is the so called Arabian building, a well built but 
small Arabian structure of later date in a good state of preser- 
vation. 

It is the Enclosing Wall on the west side of the Great 
Temple that forms one of the most remarkable remains of 
ancient architecture. These contain Blocks of Stone which are 
the largest ever used in the construction of any building. 
Three of these monsters are from sixty-two to sixty-four feet 
long and about thirteen feet square, and each weighing in the 
neighbourhood of one thousand tons. How these monster 
stones were brought from the quarry a mile away and raised, 
as in some instances, to a height nearly a hundred feet from 
the ground, will perhaps forever remain a mystery, especially 
as it is asserted that the temple was built before the invention 
of the lever or the derrick. The usual theory is that they were 
rolled up an inclined plane of earth especially prepared for 
the purpose. 

Near the Quarry itself lies even a larger stone some seventy 
feet long and fifteen feet wide, weighing about fifteen hundred 
tons, the largest single stone ever quarried and removed from 
its original place. 



178 PALESTINE 

III— GALILEE 

^^ Palestine is like a stringed instrument^ every touch upon 
which briftgs forth some sweet and musical sound.^* 

WITHIN the past few years the usual method of 
travel in Palestine has been to make Haifa the en- 
tering port for Jerusalem as well as for Damascus, 
Galilee and Samaria. The Bay of Acre, although somewhat 
exposed, furnishes a safer port than Jaffa. When this course 
is followed the first impressions of the Holy Land will be Haifa 
and Mount Carmel. In the time of the Crusaders the harbour 
and fortress were famous. It was the last refuge of the Knights 
of St. John before they began their Mediterranean wanderings, 
which ended at Malta. 

Haifa is a growing commercial center but a rather uninter- 
esting town of 27,000 people; half of whom are Moslems. A 
progressive and prosperous German colony, known as '* The 
Temple " Sect has greatly improved Haifa, as well as the 
slopes of Mount Carmel and the surrounding region. 

From Haifa the traveller can now go directly to Jerusalem 
by railway through the attractive plain of Sharon, passing 
through the important railway center of Ludd, making the 
ninety-five miles in about five hours, the second part of the 
journey climbing the steep Judean mountains. 

Travellers now usually start the railroad trip to Damascus 
from Haifa instead of Beirut, as formerly. The distance from 
Haifa to Damascus is 177 miles. Travellers who so desire can 
take the train as far as Afule and by dismounting there can make 
carriage connection with Nazareth. The day following they can 
return to Afule and proceed by railroad to Samakh, fifty-four 
miles from Haifa, where boats can be taken to Tiberias, Caper- 
naum and other points on Lake Galilee. 

Sometimes travellers prefer to go by carriage or motor car 
directly from Haifa to Nazareth and from Nazareth to Tiberias, 
taking the train at Samakh if they wish to continue by railway 
to Damascus. From Samakh the train proceeds through the 



GALILEE 179 

Yarmuk Valley to Derat, where it joins the main Hejaz line to 
Damascus. 

When the trip from Haifa to Nazareth and Tiberias is 
made by carriage or auto, the road wends its way from 
Haifa through Galilee. It soon crosses the Kishon, which ran 
red with the blood of the prophets of Baal^ and with the 
sanguinary tide of many desperate battles. Then the pro- 
cession winds around the picturesque Mt. Carmel, where the 
contest for the supremacy of Jehovah was made by the heroic 
Elijah. On Mt. Carmel there is a Carmelite monastery, and 
after a long ride along the ridge, the traveller who has time to 
give a day to this expedition will come to '^ the Place of 
Burning,'^ where the triumphant sacrifice and the slaughter of 
the false prophets are believed to have taken place. 

After skirting Mt. Carmel, the procession leads along the 
valley where Sisera met such an overwhelming defeat, and then 
on to the Plain of Esdraelon, where Barak and Gideon won 
their great victories, and where Saul and Josiah were over- 
whelmed in death. Here also the Maccabees, the Crusaders 
and Napoleon helped to make history. 

Lunch is usually taken under the trees at * ' Harosheth of the 
Gentiles," where Jael, Heber's wife, treacherously slew Sisera. 

While certain portions of Palestine are indeed a barren 
wilderness, large portions are wonderfully fertile, in spite of 
the centuries of improper cultivation. Wheat, grapes, figs, 
olives and pomegranates make large yields, and wild flowers in 
many places form gloriously vivid pictures of variegated colours, 
such as may be seen in few countries of the world. 

After twenty-three and a half miles of carriage riding through 
new and absorbing scenes, one comes to the upland mountain- 
rimmed plain in which nestles the city of Nazareth, 1,100 feet 
above the level of the sea. '^ Itself resting on a very steep 
slope, it is encircled by hills on all sides and in front of the 
town." It is to-day, as it has been in the past, a quiet rural 
town, the homestead of shepherds, craftsmen, vine dressers and 
tillers of the soil. 



i8o PALESTINE 

Above the line of houses on the ridge there are several 
precipitous cliffs, hidden for the most part by clumps of 
prickly pear, either of which might mark the spot where the 
men of Nazareth sought to cast Jesus down headlong. The 
traditional site, a full half hour distant, does not fulfill any of 
the conditions of the narrative. As unsatisfactory and mis- 
leading as this are the Cave of the Annunciation, the kitchen of 
Mary, the carpenter shop of Joseph, the stone slab said to have 
been used as a dining- table by our Lord and His apostles, 
and the synagogue in which Jesus stood up to read the 
Scriptures. 

There are two places in Nazareth, however, where we may 
be sure that our Lord must have spent many an hour of His 
childhood and youth. One is the Fountain at the edge of the 
village, which has been its one unfailing source of water supply 
from time immemorial, and the other is the ridge back of the 
town which rises about 500 feet above it. The fountain is the 
centre of social life in Nazareth, and here women and maidens 
in picturesque attire congregate in the cool of the evening to 
gossip, and to fill their earthen pitchers as they have done for 
centuries j — as they did without doubt in Mary's day. 

From the Outlook on the Hill may be seen one of the 
grandest panoramic views of Palestine. The high mountains 
of Naphtali, the snowy dome of Mt. Hermon, the highlands of 
Bashan and Gilead, the deep depression of the Jordan valley, 
the great plain of Esdraelon, and the historic towns that border it, 
the high mountains of Samaria and Benjamin, Mt. Carmel and 
the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, — all are included in 
the sweep of vision on the summit of this commanding emi- 
nence. This is the one place, as Dean Stanley intimates, 
where the three sacred mountains. Tabor, Hermon and Carmel, 
are conjoined in one view. Here our Lord must often have 
come to hold communion with the Father ; to drink in the 
fresh breezes from the sea, and to look over the land where 
His labours and suffering were to be undertaken for a sinful 
race. 



GALILEE i8i 

The one thing which makes Nazareth and all its surroundings 
a holy place is the Life once manifested there, the influence 
and blessed memory of which can never pass away. 

Nazareth is connected with the outside world by a good car- 
riage road to Efule, the railway station, five miles distant. The 
Hotel Galilee, and the Casanova Franciscan Hospice offer ac- 
commodations. There are besides Greek and Latin churches 
a Scotch and a German hospital, an English Protestant Church 
and mission, a Bible depot, and an Orphanage for Girls under 
the auspices of the English Female Education Society. 

Kefr Kenna, the generally accepted site of Cana of Galilee, 
is five miles northeast of Nazareth on the direct road to 
Tiberias. It is beautifully situated on a ridge of broken table- 
land, and the gardens at the foot of the hill it overspreads are 
noted for their fertility and variety of products. At the south- 
ern end of the village there is a copious fountain of excellent 
water. Cana was the home of Nathanael and the place where 
Jesus wrought His first miracle *^ and manifested forth His 
glory." Here also He received the Nobleman from Caper- 
naum, whose son was healed in accordance with His word. 

A conspicuous feature of the ridge which overlooks the 
stretch of table-land upon which Cana is situated, and forms its 
western border, is a deeply indented mass of rock known as 
^'Kurun Hattin,"— the Horns of Hattin. This is the tra- 
ditional Mount of the Beatitudes (Matt. 5 : i), but the real 
site is probably one of the lower slopes or ledges of the moun- 
tain in the immediate vicinity of the Gennesaret plain. How- 
ever this may be, Hattin will be forever memorable as the 
landmark overlooking the spot where, July 5, 1187, the army 
of the Crusaders made its last stand and was almost annihilated 
by the hosts of Saladin. 

LAKE GALILEE 

From a lower level on the eastern slope of the mountain the 
traveller gets his first view of the Lake of Galilee and its 
environs. As seen under a cloudless sky and in the fresh 



i82 PALESTINE 

spring time, from this standpoint — nearly a thousand feet 
above the water — the picture is singularly beautiful, as well as 
deeply impressive. The sweep of vision is limited to the 
northern half of the lake, but it includes almost all of the 
localities which have been hallowed by the ministry of Jesus. 

The most noteworthy feature of this inland sea is its deep 
depression. It lies 682 feet below the level of the Mediter- 
ranean, and the mountains, which gracefully curve around it, — 
shutting it in at every point except where the Jordan makes its 
entrance and exit, — vary in height from 1,300 to 2,000 feet. 
On the eastern side the mountains rise abruptly from the 
narrow plain which borders the lake, to the level of the Bashan 
plateau ; and the general impression is that of a bare rugged 
wall of rock, cleft here and there by deeply-gashed torrent 
beds. In these are occasional patches of green, but the pre- 
vailing colours are the red and brown of the vast masses of 
basaltic rock. On the western side the range is broken into 
rounded hills and grass-covered slopes, which in some places 
terminate abruptly as they approach the margin of the lake. 

Between the base of the enclosing hills and the coast line 
there is an almost continuous belt of green lowland varying in 
width from a ribbon-like strip to a generous expanse of one or 
two miles. ** The shore line, for most part regular, is broken 
in the north into a series of little bays of exquisite beauty ; 
nowhere more beautiful than at Gennesaret, where the 
beaches, j.early white with myriads of minute shells, are on 
one side washed by the limpid waters of the lake, and on the 
other shut in by a fringe of oleanders, rich in May with their 
blossoms red and bright." 

Over the rim of the mountain wall northward, the prospect 
is closed by the towering heights of Hermon. From every 
outlook south of Magdala, the cloudy coronal and snowy 
mantle of this majestic mountain may be seen ; and at some 
points it seems so near that it can hardly be distinguished from 
the contour of the mountain mass which overshadows the 
margin of the lake. The Jordan descends from Lake Huleh 



GALILEE 183 

to the Galilean basin, a distance of eleven miles, through a 
narrow gorge in a succession of rapids or cascades. For the 
greater part of this distance the descent is more than ninety 
feet to the mile. 

From this gateway of the hills the Jordan emerges, a foam- 
ing, swirling torrent, crosses the belt of the coast plain, some 
two miles in breadth, and entering the sea passes through it, 
as does the Rhine through the Sea of Constance. For a con- 
siderable distance its course may be traced by its turbid waters, 
but at length it is lost to sight and hushed to rest in the bosom 
of the lake ; and ere it passes out on its downward plunge to 
the Dead Sea, it is as clear as the waves which ripple along the 
beach of the Gennesaret plain. 

The Topography and characteristic features of the coasts 
of Galilee can best be studied by making the circuit of the 
lake, but a sail of an hour or two will bring most of the points 
of interest under the eye. In outline the sea is an irregular 
oval, the larger end being at the north. Its length is twelve 
and a quarter miles. Its greatest width — from Magdala to 
Khersa (Gergesa) — is six and a quarter miles. The maximum 
depth is 156 feet. The water is bright and clear, and is almost 
as delicate a blue as the Bay of Naples. In its ordinary con- 
dition it is a water-mirror of rare beauty and reflective power ; 
and the play of the lights and shadows on its surface and sur- 
rounding hills, amid the ever-varying atmospheric changes from 
sunrise to sunset, greatly enhances the charm of its natural 
features. In the rich warm glow of the setting sun, which 
seems to impart to this lake-region a peculiar glory, the beloved 
disciple must often have witnessed a counterpart of that scene 
in holy vision, which he described as ^^a sea of glass mingled 
with fire." 

The modern city of Tiberias occupies but a small portion 
of the site of the city of Herod Antipas. It has a population 
of about 10,000, most of which are Jews. There are a few 
prominent buildings among the low, flat-roofed hovels of the 
natives, the most notable of which are the Greek and Latin 



i84 PALESTINE 

convents, several Jewish synagogues and a modernized and com- 
fortable building which bears the name " Hotel Tiberias." 
The Free Church of Scotland has a mission station with a 
well-furnished hospital in the northern portion of the town. A 
mile or more below the city are the celebrated Hot Springs 
which made this portion of the coast so attractive to the 
Romans. The ancient city extended nearly to the Springs 
and its ruins cover acres of ground along the shore. A fine 
view of the town and lake may be obtained from the summit 
of the ruined citadel, — once within the walls, — which rises 580 
feet above the water. 

The Northern Portion of the Sea of Galilee may be 
reached by boats from Tiberias or by the ancient coast road, 
which keeps close to the shore for two or three miles. Between 
Magdala — now known as Mejdel — and Khan Minyeh, the 
mountains recede from the lake in an almost semicircular 
sweep, leaving a beautiful, crescent-shaped plain, three and 
one-fourth by one and one-eighth miles. The cliffs which bor- 
der the plain on the south extend almost to the margin of the 
lake. On the north it is wholly cut off from the lowland strip 
beyond by a spur or promontory, which runs down to the 
water. The Arabs call this mountain-girdled tract El Ghuweir, 
— the '' Little Ghor.'' Its identity with the '' Land of Gennes- 
aret*' is unquestioned. 

The limits correspond with the measurements given by Jo- 
sephus, and in the wild tangle of tropical vegetation which 
now covers its desolation, one may readily see the proofs of 
the extraordinary fertility, which once made it the garden spot 
of Northern Palestine. The shore line of the Gennesaret plain 
is slightly embayed and the beach, which slopes gradually to 
the water's edge, is thickly strewn with myriads of tiny, pearly- 
white shells. On the landward side of this beautiful pathway 
by the sea, an almost continuous hedge of oleanders and trop- 
ical thorns hold back a confused mass of wild, luxuriant vege- 
tation. There are no fences and no groups of trees to obstruct 
the vision between the limits of the sea and the mountains; and 



GALILEE 185 

at several points of view, the whole plain and its borderings 
may be seen at a glance. 

Three deeply-cleft ravines, known as the Wadies Hamam, 
Rubudiyeh and Amud, break through the encircling barrier ot 
h.lls on the western side, and from each of these the drainage 
of the adjacent highlands is carried, in perennial streams, 
across the plain to the lake. The road crosses these brooks at 
almost regular intervals between Magdala and Khan Minyeh. 

The most notable of these ravines is the Wady el Hamam, 
opening out upon the plain near Magdala. The rugged chffs 
which border its sides rise perpendicularly to the height of more 
than 1,000 feet. A labyrinth of caves with connecting pas- 
sages, has been for centuries in the past an impregnable strong- 
hold, and a favourite hiding-place for outlaws and robber 
bands. The great caravan route from Esdraelon and the 
South to Damascus follows the line of the old Roman road 
through Wady Hamam to Khan Minyeh and thence northward 
over the hills of Naphtali. This was the direct route from 
Cana to Capernaum in the Saviour* s day, and He must often 
have journeyed over it during the period of the Galilean 
ministry. 

A copious fountain, Ain Mudawarah, bursts from the 
foot of the hills, between the Hamam and Rubudiyeh valleys, 
and sends a stream of clear refreshing water across the plain. 
Another notable fountain (Ain el Tin) rises at the southern 
base of the Khan Minyeh cliff and runs eastward into the lake. 
The only place about the Sea of Galilee where the Egyptian 
papyrus grows, at present, is in the marsh between this foun- 
tain and the lake. 

A collection of hovels of mud and stone — thirty or more — 
represent Magdala, the town of Mary Magdalen, and a mass 
of ruins mostly underground, — the lake-side home of Jesus at 
Khan Minyeh. North of the plain a short distance, at the 
head of a beautiful bay, is the probable site of Bethsaida of 
GaUlee. Beyond this is Tell Hum, which Dr. Robinson and 
others identify with Chorazin. Several noted explorers have 



i86 PALESTINE 

fixed upon Tell Hum as the site of Capernaum, but there are 
good reasons for rejecting this identification. (For fuller in- 
formation in reference to these towns and their locations, see 
Dr. Stewart's ''The Land of Israel" pubHshed by Revell and 
other works of recent date.) 

How beautifully has the Master woven the several details 
and peculiarities of this varied landscape into the texture of 
the series of Parables, which belong to the period of His early 
ministry. In these pictorial representations of the Kingdom 
of Grace, we have the imagery, the landscape colouring, and 
many of the special features of the Gennesaret of to-day. 
Amid all the changes and desolations of the centuries, the 
framework and distinguishing characteristics of this natural 
amphitheatre yet remain. It is safe to say that there is no 
other place on earth where so much of the divinely-beautiful 
life of Jesus was seen ; where so many of His mighty works 
were done. Here we may read page after page of the ''Fifth 
Gospel," torn indeed and soiled, but still legible; and there is 
not an incident nor an expression in the story of the Evan- 
gelists, that does not harmonize with these open pages as 
they lie in the clear sunlight between the mountains and the 
sea. 

Here in very surety ' ' one great memory lingers ' ^ and every 
spot is hallowed ground. Here where the desert places to 
which He went betimes for communion and prayer, trench so 
closely upon the fertile fields ; where the sunbeam.s play upon 
the surface of the clear blue waters as they ripple along the 
pearly beach; where every natural feature is pleasing to the 
eye, and only the labour and skill of men are needed to make 
it again the garden of the Lord — was the favoured place, we 
may well believe, "where Jesus loved so much to be " ; and 
where He spent the busiest, happiest hours of His earthly life. 
We can hardly be wrong in saying that it was to this place of 
hallowed memories, also, that Jesus came to meet His disciples 
after the Resurrection. 



SAMARIA 187 

" O Saviour gone to God's right hand, 
But the same Saviour still : 
Graven on Thy heart is this lovely strand. 
And every fragrant hill." 

Note. — The return trip from the Sea of Galilee usually comes back to 
Nazareth and a night is spent there. From this point, those who include 
only Galilee in their itinerary return to Caifa, while those who also in- 
clude Samaria start southward from Nazareth towards Jerusalem. 



IV— SAMARIA 

THE direct route from Nazareth to Jerusalem follows 
the course of the ancient highway along the great 
central ridge or watershed of the country. Over 
this rugged course the Patriarchs journeyed on their way to the 
South country more than four thousand years ago ; and since 
that time countless hosts, including prophets, judges, kings, 
conquering armies, caravans and pilgrim bands have trodden, 
in journeyings northward or southward, in their very steps. 
By this highway, also, the lowly Redeemer sometimes travelled 
to Jerusalem, the first time, as a boy of twelve, on that memora- 
ble journey to attend the great Feast. In this section of the 
^' hill country " the Palestine tourist finds most of the cities and 
towns which have been celebrated in the Old Testament story ; 
and here every valley and slope and ruin-crowned hilltop teem 
with sacred associations. 

Starting from Nazareth or Afule in a motor car, making 
Palestinian travel so easy as compared with the horseback 
journey of former days, the way leads down into the extremely 
large and fertile Plain of Esdraelon. It is a broad undu- 
lating plain, triangular in outline and unbroken by ridges or 
deeply cleft valleys. 

The village of Shunem, — where the army of the Philistines 
were encamped before the defeat of King Saul, and where the 
Shunammite dwelt who entertained the prophet Elisha so hos- 



i88 PALESTINE 

pitably, — is three miles north of Zerin, on the northwest slope 
of the ridge of Little Hermon. The little hamlet of Nain, 
with name unchanged, lies on the other side of the ridge not 
very far distant. Endor is on the same side of the mountain 
nearly two miles northeast of Nain. As these towns are away 
from the main road and require quite a detour, they are not 
always visited by tourists. 

The main road leads on to Zerin, which is the modern rep- 
resentative of Jezreel, — the royal residence of Ahab and Jeze- 
bel, which skirts the western base of Gilboa. The site of this 
ancient city at the head of the valley of Jezreel is a command- 
ing one, but a few mud hovels and some unshapely heaps of stone 
are all that remain to indicate its former greatness and glory. 

The famous Fountain of Jezreel issues from a cave at the 
base of Mount Gilboa, a mile and a half east of Zerin. This 
is the principal source of the Jalud, and is well worthy of a 
visit. Its identity with the Spring of Harod has been generally 
admitted, and it fits in exactly with the narrative of the cam- 
paign of Gideon. It was also the camping place of King Saul 
before the disastrous battle in which he was slain. 

From the slight eminence now covered by the ruins of Jezreel 
one can plainly see the site of Bethshan at the lower end of 
the valley. Up this narrow passageway, which has always 
been the main thoroughfare between Eastern and Western Pal- 
estine, Jehu once drove in furious haste to avenge the iniquities 
of the house of Ahab ; and by the same route countless hordes, 
harnessed for the battle, have entered or passed out of the 
land, both before and since the days of Gideon. All the en- 
trances to the great plain are visible from this standpoint. 
One passageway follows the course of a valley which descends 
from the mountains of Galilee and enters the plain near Mt. 
Tabor ; another is at Tell Kasis, the western end of the tri- 
angle ; another is the passageway at the site of Megiddo ; a 
fourth is at Jenin and the fifth is, — as already noted,— at the 
head of the valley of Jezreel. 

At the first named entrance Barak concentrated his army for 



SAMARIA 189 

battle, and here centuries afterwards Napoleon won a fruitless 
victory ; down the second the terrified hosts of Sisera fled in 
wild confusion into the narrow pass, where the swiftly rushing 
flood of the Kishon swept them away ; in the open space at 
the entrance to the third pass, Thotmes III, Barak and Pha- 
raoh Necho joined battle with the forces which opposed them 
and won victories which settled the destiny of the country for 
centuries following ; and at the fifth Gideon utterly defeated 
the hosts of Midian, driving them with great slaughter down 
the valley to the fords of the Jordan. 

The journey then continues to Jenin (the En ganim of the 
Old Testament) which marks the entrance into Samaria. It is a 
favourite camping-place for tourists. The principal attractions 
are the abundance of shade, a good location for tents on high 
ground, and an overflowing fountain which supphes the town 
and also irrigates the gardens and clustered groups of fruit 
trees which partially surround it. 

On the road from Jenin to Samaria we pass the little moun- 
tain-rimmed plain of Dothan, where Joseph's brethren were 
keeping their flocks when the lad delivered to them the mes- 
sage of his father. It is still a favourite resort of the shepherds 
when other pastures fail. Through it passes the old track worn 
by merchantmen of the East for something like 5,000 years. 
A little mound near the centre of the plain marks the site of 
the city in which the prophet Elisha dwelt when he was mirac- 
ulously delivered from the encompassing Syrian armies. Near 
the highway, which passes down the Wady Selhab to the coast 
plain, is a perennial spring, around which Joseph's brethren 
were probably encamped, and remains of dry cisterns have 
been found near the mound of ruins, which still bears the old 
name, — Tell Dothan. 

As we draw near to the ancient city of Samaria, we look 
down upon a beautiful green basin, surrounded by picturesque, 
fruitful hills. In the centre of this plain rises the shapely hill 
which Omri, the father of Ahab, selected for the site of the 
capital of his kingdom. This elevation, as its ancient name 



190 PALESTINE 

signifies, was a watch-tower. It is more than 500 feet above 
the plain and is belted to the top with broad green terraces. 

Samaria, now known as Sebaste, was central in location,, 
beautiful for situation and rich in agricultural surroundings, 
but it became under the lead of Ahab and Jezebel a centre of 
idolatrous worship in its most degrading forms ; and as the 
prophet had foretold^ *^ its glorious beauty, which was on the 
head of the fat valley, became a fading flower and as the hasty 
fruit before the summer.*' The same fate has befallen the 
later city built and adorned with princely munificence by 
Herod the Great. The largest of the ruined structures yet re- 
maining is the Church of St. John the Baptist, built by the 
Crusaders in the twelfth century. Higher up are the remains 
of clustered columns and of a double colonnade which formerly 
swept around one of the upper terraces of the hill for a distance 
of 3,000 feet. Near the Church of St. John is an ancient res- 
ervoir which suggests the *'Pool of Samaria,'* where was 
washed the blood-stained chariot of Ahab, in which, at last, 
the King had met his doom (i Kings 22 : 38). 

Nablus, the modern representative of the ancient city of 
Shechem, nestles amid a dark mass of luxuriant vegetation 
between the mountain ridges in the upper part of the vale of 
Shechem. It is almost midway between Dan and Beersheba, 
and may be regarded as the central city of the middle section 
of Palestine. It is thirty miles from Jerusalem ; thirty from 
Caesarea ; thirty-three from Bethshan ; eighteen from Jenin, 
and about sixteen miles from the nearest ford of the Jordan. 

The city overspreads a narrow watershed which parts the 
rivulets, flowing from the bases of the mountains on either 
hand, to east and west. There are few places to which the 
description, *^ well watered everywhere, even as the garden of 
the Lord," would more aptly apply. It calls forth the admi- 
ration of travellers from every clime, and may be regarded as a 
typical representation of the *' good land " in its best estate. 

Shechem has the singular honour of being the oldest of all 
the sacred places in the Promised Land. To this '* place of 



SAMARIA 191 

Sichem *' Abram came, with his flocks and herds, about forty 
centuries ago. Here he built an altar unto Jehovah, ^< who 
appeared unto him/' Hitherto he had been seeking aland 
which the Lord had promised to show unto him, but now as 
he stood by this altar the promise was definitely made, *'Unto 
thy seed will I give this land.*' 

Some two hundred years later his grandson Jacob came from 
Padan-Aram, and pitched his tents on the broad plain in front 
of Shechem. At Shechem, also, after the death of Solomon, a 
great assembly of Israel was held, which resulted in the rejec- 
tion of Rehoboam, and the crowning of Jeroboam, by the rep- 
resentatives of the ten tribes. 

Following this act Shechem became for a time the capital 
of the northern kingdom. Long afterwards, when the ten 
tribes had been carried into captivity by the Assyrians, this 
place, so often desolated and restored, became the chief seat 
and sacred city of the Samaritans. 

The view from Mt. Ebal is one of the most satisfactory and 
comprehensive in all the land. (See Smith's '* Historical 
Geography," p. 119, or Stewart's '^ Land of Israel," p. 141.) 

The place of the grand national assembly, where all the 
tribes were gathered after the conquest, to hear and ratify the 
'* Book of the Law of God which Moses had written," was in 
the valley of Shechem between its mouth and the eastern 
limit of the ancient city. Next to the giving of the law at 
Sinai, this was the most subhme spectacle and impressive 
service in the history of the covenant people. It is a note- 
worthy fact that two breaks, or lateral valleys, have formed 
natural amphitheatres on either slope of the mountain, which 
seemed to have been prepared for such an occasion. 

The narrative plainly declares that '^ the people stood on this 
side and that of the ark ; half of them in front of Mt. Gerizim, 
and half of them over against Mt. Ebal ; as Moses the servant 
of the Lord had commanded." There is no intimation that 
either the readers or those who responded were on the tops of 
the mountain. 



192 PALESTINE 

In this valley at a later period, Joshua gathered all the tribes 
of Israel to listen to his farewell charge, and here in the most 
solemn manner the people renewed their covenant with Je- 
hovah. This was the place where the men of Shechem after- 
wards proclaimed the usurper Abimelech, as King. 

On Mt. Gerizim Jotham, the only surviving son of the 
warrior-judge Gideon, uttered in the hearing of the people of 
Shechem the fable of the talking trees. This quaint homily, 
the first of its kind recorded in history, embodied a scathing 
rebuke to the men of Shechem for their ingratitude and 
folly. 

With a view to rival, and if possible supplant, the worship 
of the Jews at Jerusalem, the sect of the Samaritans, rein- 
forced by some noted Jews who had been expelled from Jeru- 
salem for unlawful marriages, built a great national temple on 
Mt. Gerizim. This temple, erected 200 b. c, was destroyed 
by the Jews about one hundred and thirty years before the 
birth of Christ. Notwithstanding the destruction of their 
temple the Samaritans continued to worship on the sum- 
mit of Gerizim ; and it is a notable fact that they have ob- 
served the Passover on this mountain, in strict accordance with 
the Mosaic ritual, in almost continuous succession year by 
year, from the destruction of Jerusalem until this day. This 
is the only place on the face of the earth where the blood of 
the paschal lamb has been shed and its flesh eaten, in accord- 
ance with the Jewish ritual, since the destruction of the Temple 
at Jerusalem. 

The Samaritan sect now numbers only 160 persons all told, 
but they still have a synagogue in Shechem, — the repository 
of the sacred roll of the Pentateuch, undoubtedly of great age ; 
and the pathway up to the summit of the mountain, deeply 
worn by the tread of their forefathers of many generations, has 
never been effaced nor obscured. 

It may be confidently asserted that no spot of ground within 
the limits of the Holy Land has been more certainly identified 
than the site of the wayside Well of Jacob at the entrance of 



SAMARIA 193 

the valley of Shechem. With the Samaritans as with us, the 
spot of greatest interest in this cluster of sacred places is the 
Well of Jacob. They have never lost sight of it, and in a 
sense have been its guardians since the beginning of the 
Christian era. The unbroken traditions of the Jews, Moslems 
and Christians accord with this testimony. 

Since the fourth century its site has been marked, and 
also protected from the sand and soil which have gathered 
around it, by a small chapel. The present structure is prob- 
ably a reconstruction of the fourth century chapel, or it may be 
the crypt of the ancient church. In any case it covers the 
same ground, and bears silent testimony to the reliability of 
this identification. 

The associations of this place carry us far back in the world's 
history amid pastoral scenes and patriarchal customs, but the 
event which the Apostle John so graphically describes tran- 
scends all others in interest and importance. Here in the very 
beginning of His public ministry, Jesus revealed Himself to a 
perplexed inquirer as the long promised Messiah, the Saviour 
of the world. 

By this hallowed spot to-day we may see all the distinctive 
features of the landscape on which His eyes rested nineteen 
centuries ago. Here are the twin mountains, which rise as of 
old abruptly from the plain ; the narrow vale of Shechem, 
which lies between ; the wide expanse of the vast grainfield, 
which stretches far away to north and south ; the sites of 
Salim, Sychar and Shechem within easy reach ; the place of 
worship on the summit of the sacred mountain of the Samari- 
tans ; the dusty road on which the Redeemer travelled, skirt- 
ing the base of the mountain ; and, stranger than all, the stone- 
curb hidden from view for probably fifteen centuries, and now 
brought to the light of day, on which for a few moments Jesus 
rested His weary limbs at the midday hour. There came to 
the Well at this hour a woman of Samaria. 

The place of the oak (or terebinth) which sheltered Abra- 
ham has been identified with Belata, a little village a short 



194 PALESTINE 

distance west of Jacob's Well. Under this oak, which was by 
Shechem, Jacob hid the strange gods that some of the mem- 
bers of his household had brought with them from the other 
side of the Euphrates, before he renewed his covenants with 
Jehovah at Bethel. 

Salim, the ancient Shalem, is situated at this eastern arm of 
the plain, about two miles northeast of Jacob's Well. It is 
mentioned in connection with the sojourn of Jacob (Gen. 
33 : 1 8), and in the New Testament as a city near ^non 
(John 3 : 23). 

The portion of Ground which Jacob bought of the chil- 
dren of Hamor was at the mouth of the valley of Shechem. 
It is doubly consecrated to the memory of the Patriarch by the 
Well which he dug and transmitted to his posterity, and by the 
Tomb of his noble son Joseph, who was buried here, almost in 
the middle of the valley, in the presence of the assembled 
thousands of Israel. 

At the base of Mount Ebal, a little farther to the north, is 
the modern village of Ascar, which has been satisfactorily 
identified with Sychar. It occupies the site of an older town. 
Sychar is described in John's Gospel as *^a city of Samaria 
near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph." 
This parcel of ground is the field, also, in which Joseph wan- 
dered in search of his brethren, who had meanwhile removed 
to Dothan (Gen. 37 : 17). 

The Plain of Mukhna down which we go southward is noted 
for its fertility and is cultivated throughout the greater part of 
its extent. In the spring-time it is, in its wider parts, an almost 
continuous field of waving grain. A noteworthy sight on the 
left side of the road which traverses this plain is the village 
of Awertah, which the Samaritans identify with Gibeah 
Phinehas, the burial-place of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, and 
his family. Awertah is situated on a knoll, which rises in the 
middle of the plain, about three miles south of Jacob's Well. 
The tomb appears to be of great antiquity, while that of 
Eleazar, under a large terebinth on the west side of the village, 



SAMARIA 195 

has been rebuilt in later times. The tomb of Ithamar is shown 
below the village under a grove of olive-trees. 

As the journey progresses, the traveller comes to the secluded 
upland valley, in which may be seen all that remains of the 
old city of Shiloh. The ruins are scattered over a little knoll 
on the north side of the valley. A fountain of pure water 
bubbles up in a deep valley a short distance east of the knoll, 
and in its immediate vicinity there are a number of rock-hewn 
tombs. The oak of Shiloh, which stands alone near the ruins 
of an ancient mosque, is worthy of notice. The sunken court, 
described by Colonel Conder (it is four hundred feet long by 
seventy- five wide) is on a broad depression or shoulder of the 
hill, north of the ruined buildings. This is the probable site of 
the tabernacle which was, according to rabbinical tradition, '< a 
building of low stone walls, with the tent drawn over the top.** 
Shiloh was the abiding-place of the tabernacle for about 300 
years, and here Joshua completed the division of the land by 
lot. Here Eli ministered as high priest and Samuel grew up 
in the service of the sanctuary. The place is now an utter 
desolation (See Jer. 7 : 12). 

Thence the road descends to a fertile and well-cultivated 
plateau, which is sometimes designated as the plain of Sinjil. 
The village of Sinjil, which received its name from Count 
Raymond of Toulouse during the first Crusade, crowns the 
summit of a hill to the right. On the plateau to the left is a 
modern village called Turmus Aya, This high ground for- 
merly was a favourite camping-place and usually marked the 
limit of the last day's journey before reaching Jerusalem. 

The road comes into a narrow glen, thickly strewn with loose 
stones, to a quiet resting-place where water drips freely from 
the rocks and forms a beautiful carpet of green. This cool and 
inviting retreat is nevertheless a place of evil omen, and the 
spring of water which for long centuries has quenched the 
thirst of passing travellers is known as the ** Robber's Foun- 
tain/' This is one of the wildest and most picturesque spots 
on the journey. 



196 PALESTINE 

A short distance north of Bethel, a marked change is mani- 
fest in the general appearance of the country. The mountain 
region from this border line to the edge of the plain of Es- 
draelon was known in the earlier periods of Israel's history as 
Mount Ephraim. This tract was the portion of the in- 
heritance of the sons of Joseph. To Ephraim was given the 
southern portion, and the remainder, by far the larger part, 
was assigned to the tribe of Manasseh. The highest peak of 
Mount Ephraim is Tell Asur or Baal Hazor as it was designated 
in Old Testament times. 

Its elevation is 3,818 feet above the sea. It is less than five 
miles from Bethel ; its southern base being the boundary line, 
as first established, between Ephraim and Benjamin. Tell 
Asur is a mass of bare rock prominent in Biblical history 
mainly as a high place or landmark, but all its associations 
seem to have been with Baal and his worship. On the slope 
of Baal Hazor, Absalom had a sheep farm to which his brother 
Ammon was treacherously decoyed and put to death (2 Sam. 
13 : 23-29). 

Mount Ephraim is more broken and rugged than the plateau 
of Benjamin. It has a succession of wooded heights, inter- 
spersed plains and fertile valleys throughout the whole of its 
extent. In some localities the valleys deepen into dark glens, 
and the scenery is exceedingly wild and picturesque. This 
section as a whole has been described by Moses as a ^*land 
blessed of the Lord, etc.'' (Deut. 33 : 13-15). 

Bethel, now known as Beitin, lies on the crest of a ridge a 
half hour's ride from Beeroth. The ridge on which the ruins of 
the ancient city are thickly strewn is 2,890 feet above the sea. 
The characteristics of the modern village, as summed up by Dr. 
Schaff, are ^' about two dozen Moslem hovels, the ruins of a 
Greek church, a very large cistern and wild rocks." The cis- 
tern referred to is a vast reservoir in the valley southeast of the 
village. It measures 314 feet in length by 217 in width. It 
has long been a '< broken cistern," but the ''green pastures" 
around it indicate a good supply of water, which if utilized as 



SAMARIA 197 

m the early days, would make it a favourite camping-place for 
shepherds and their flocks, as in the days of Abraham. On 
the crest of the hill directly east of the ridge on which Bethel 
stands is the grand outlook where Abram and Lot beheld the 
plain and the whole land to the southward before them. 

Standing amid the ruins of Bethel, and looking down on the 
broken terraces, the neglected hillsides and valleys below, we 
read the fulfillment to the letter of the sure word of prophecy, 
'^Bethel shall come to naught.'* The high places, wherein 
her degenerate days the golden calf of Egypt had been set up, 
have become an utter desolation. Dreary and forsaken as the 
place now is there are precious memories of better days which 
yet linger about it. Once it was the ^^ House of God " and the 
home of the early Patriarchs, — a place of worship honoured by 
the presence and special favour of Almighty God. Somewhere 
on this rock-strewn height the younger son of Isaac, fleeing for 
his life from his brother Esau, lay down to rest, using the rough 
stones of the place for his pillow. 

In this lone place, with mind ill at ease, the despairing fugi- 
tive had a glorious vision which filled his soul with peace and 
became the turning point in his life's history. Here he saw the 
angels of God on the terraced ascent that reached to heaven, 
and heard the Divine voice. 

At Birch, the site of the ancient city of Beeroth, there are 
the remains of a Church and Khan, which tradition has con- 
nected with the first visit of our Lord to Jerusalem. At this 
place, as the story goes, Joseph and Mary missed the child 
Jesus, and from this point, — the first stage on the return jour- 
ney, — they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 

However this may be. El Bireh is well supplied with water, 
and formerly was a favourite lunching-place for modern pil- 
grims on this journey. 

For about ten miles the road runs almost due south through 
the territory of Benjamin, the most barren and desolate por- 
tion of the country of the hills. On either side of the way there 
is a succession of isolated knolls, which mark the sites of the 



198 PALESTINE 

towns to which reference has already been made. While the 
summits of these little hills were utilized for defense, the slopes 
and terraces were cultivated with great care. The portion of 
Benjamin was preeminently a pastoral region, however. It was 
a mountain fastness, whose rugged surface and munitions of 
rock were accounted its chief excellence. To this hardy and 
war-like tribe was committed the charge of defending Jerusalem 
from invasion from the north. It was of Benjamin that Moses 
said in prophetic words, *' the beloved of the Lord (Zion) shall 
dwell safely by Him.** 

Turn now to the southward view. The most conspicuous 
object in this direction is the generally accepted site of Mizpeh 
and is now known among the inhabitants of the land as Neby 
Samwil, — The Tomb of Samuel. This famous watch-tower is 
nearly 3,000 feet above the sea and commands a glorious view 
across the land from the waters of the Mediterranean to the 
mountains of Moab. To the north and south the view extends 
from Carmel to the high places of Hebron. 

Neby Samwil is five miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was 
first identified with Mizpeh, the watch-tower of Benjamin, by 
Dr. Edward Robinson. 

It is certain, — as Canon Tristram intimates, — that no other 
peak in Southern Palestine affords such a panorama : nor is 
there any other that would be so likely to suggest the name. 
To Mizpeh the people of Israel were assembled to take counsel 
concerning the defection and unjustifiable rebellion of the tribe 
of Benjamin (Judg. 20 : i-ii) ; to offer sacrifices and seek de- 
liverance from the Philistines (i Sam. 7 : 5-7). It was here 
they met to ratify the selection of Saul of Benjamin as their first 
king (i Sam. 10: 17). It was one of the three points also 
where Samuel regularly judged Israel (i Sam. 7 : 16). 

From our standpoint and within easy range of vision are the 
Ruined Sites of many of the notable towns of the hill country 
of Benjamin, and not a few of them still bear the names, or their 
counterparts in Arabic with slight variation, which distinguished 
them in the days of Joshua. The sites scattered along this 



SAMARIA 199 

mountain plateau which have been most satisfactorily identified 
are Michmash, the place of Jonathan's heroic exploit; Ai, the 
place of Joshua's first battle; Ramah, the high place of Ben- 
jamin so often mentioned in connection with the history of 
Samuel and the Kings ; Gibeah of Benjamin, the birthplace of 
Saul and the scene of Rizpah*s lonely watch over her dead 
sons ; Anathoth, the home of Jeremiah ; and El Jib or Gibeon, 
from which the crafty Hivites sallied forth long, long ago with 
clouted shoes, well worn apparel and haversacks of mouldy 
bread, to deceive Joshua at Gilgal. Not less interesting than 
these are the two great historic passes of Benjamin — Beth- 
Horon, near Gibeon to the right of the road, adown which 
Joshua drove the Amorites into the valley of Ajalon : and Mich- 
mash, nearly opposite to it on the left hand, up which Joshua 
came with his hosts to begin the conquest of the land. What 
memories of the stirring days of Joshua and Caleb, of Samuel 
and Saul, of David and Hezekiah, and a host of Old Testament 
worthies crowd upon us in connection with these venerable sites. 

Mt. Scopus is one of the noted mountains round about Je- 
rusalem. The outlook from its summit is wider and more 
satisfactory in some respects than that from the Mount of Olives 
proper. 

From the crest of this mountain for long centuries the invad- 
ing armies of Assyria, Syria and Rome, and unnumbered hosts 
of Crusaders and Pilgrims, have gained their first view of the 
Holy City : and here, also, multitudes without number have 
gazed upon it for the last time. From this point the City and 
its environments can be seen to better advantage, perhaps, than 
from any other outlook on this circlet of hills. 

Jerusalem, as we see it from this elevation, is still a city 
compactly built together, a city of walls and gates and flanking 
towers, with something of the look of a great fortress of the 
feudal ages. Its domes and minarets rise conspicuously above 
the flat roofs and gray walls, outlining in the clear sunlight a 
picture of wondrous beauty. Although ruin has been heaped 
upon ruin there is still a melancholy grandeur about the City, 



200 PALESTINE 

— honoured above all others as the capital of the religious 
world, — which once sat as a Queen upon these venerable hills. 
Two ravines cut deeply on three sides into the rocky plateau, 
on which Jerusalem stands, separating it from the adjoining 
table-lands, while the higher mountains, of which Scopus is one, 
cluster lovingly around it as if to form an outer wall of defense. 
Within this magnificent framework of encircling hills, the most 
wonderful events in human history have taken place, and it is 
no wonder that the traveller from far away lands gazes with 
tear-dimmed eyes upon this wonderfully distinct panoramic 
view of sacred hills and valleys. There are many mountains 
celebrated in story and song, but there is only one Mount Zion. 
There is but one Olivet, one Gethsemane, and but one Calvary, 
go where we may. Here it was that, while the heavens were 
darkened and the earth was reeling and men's hearts were fail- 
ing them for fear, — the voice from the cross of shame pro- 
claimed the culmination of Messianic hopes and the finished 
work of Redemption. 



V— JAFFA TO JERUSALEM 

THE Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D. D., has written 
these suggestive words : ^' That man is to be envied 
who has still in prospect a journey to the Holy Land. 
I make this statement after having gone carefully through 
the country and after having weighed all the natural dis- 
comforts of travel in such a land. I do not know of any- 
thing that would give me greater satisfaction than to go again. 
The Bible has become a new Book to me. '' It is Palestine that 
beckons so invitingly above all countries in the world to 
the Bible student, so that he can scarcely resist becoming 
a pilgrim to its sacred shrines. 



JAFFA 201 

All of the Holy Land is interesting. Indeed, it is ''like a 
stringed instrument, every touch upon which brings forth some 
sweet and musical sound, for it vibrates at every turn with 
some suggestion or beautiful passage of the Word of God." 

People do not ordinarily realize how small in extent Pales- 
tine is. From Jaffa to Jerusalem is but forty miles by carriage 
road, while the whole country from north to south is only 
about two hundred miles, and from east to west from sixty to 
seventy-five. Yet some one has said, ''This, the least of all 
lands, is the one country towards which Christian and Jew, 
Romanist, Greek and Moslem turn with adoring devotion and 
longing desire.'' 

JAFFA 

Jaffa, although it has naturally a poor harbour, is one of 
the oldest ports in the world, and still remains the most impor- 
tant in Southern Palestine. Here Hiram King of Tyre, brought 
the cedars of Lebanon for the building of the temple. It was to 
Jaffa that Jonah came to find the ship, in which he was to 
make an attempt to flee from the presence of God. It is the 
city of Simon the tanner and of Dorcas, — indeed, several of 
the interesting memories of the New Testament are clustered 
about it. When the Romans invaded Palestine, it was the first 
place captured. In 1799, Jaffa was taken by Napoleon, who 
treacherously ordered the massacre of 4,000 Turkish soldiers. 

The present population is about 35,000, two-thirds being 
Mohammedans. About 15,000 Holy Land pilgrims, many of 
them Russian peasants, pass through Jaffa annually. It has 
a large export trade in olives, figs, pomegranates and apricots, 
but especially in oranges, the crop immediately around Jaffa 
supplying the adjacent Mediterranean countries. 

The landing at Jaffa ordinarily is not difficult except in 
stormy weather, as the boatmen are accustomed to the hand- 
ling of the passengers. It is said that many of the Jews fall 
upon their knees and kiss the earth in their joy in being in 
Palestine, an example often followed by Russian pilgrims. 



202 PALESTINE 

Passing up into the city, we soon find ourselves in the 
Market-place. Camels are lying upon the ground, and 
motley groups of strangely draped figures appear here and 
there. Others are standing idle in the market-place as of old. 
Almost everything edible is exposed for sale, and great piles 
of oranges are to be seen everywhere. On account of the 
large number of people, one can easily understand how Paul, 
coming into such a place as this in olden times, would dispute 
with them in the market-place and tell the story of his conver- 
sion. 

The first place of interest is the Tomb of Dorcas. It is a 
rock-cut tomb large enough for a half a dozen people to stand 
in it. Visitors usually go to the Greek Church, which is 
supposed to stand over the site of the house of Dorcas, and 
climb the tower of the same church, that they may see Jaffa 
the Beautiful bathed in the sunlight of a perfect day. On 
either side as one drives along, the most wonderful Orange 
Groves are to be seen, and by paying the gatekeeper, one is 
permitted to enter an orange grove and gather the fruit, which 
is regarded superior to any other oranges in the world. 

The real place of interest in Jaffa is the House of Simon 
the Tanner. Dean Stanley says that there is more proof to 
make it probable that it is the real house, than there is about 
many other locations. In the courtyard is a large and ancient 
stone vat such as dyers have used from time immemorial. The 
rooms are bare save for the few straw mats. 

Here it is believed that Peter on the housetop had his won- 
derful vision with its lessons for the life even of to-day. From 
the roof one can see the sea lying below just as Peter looked 
upon it in the olden days. One certainly feels impressed to say, 
^' Whether this is the exact location of the house of Simon the 
tanner or not, we are absolutely sure that the shore is much 
the same, and that the ocean has not changed since he re- 
ceived the vision which taught to him and to the world the 
universality of the Gospel of Christ and the great Brotherhood 
of man.*' 



JAFFA 203 

The journey is made from Jaffa to Jerusalem in a railroad 
train drawn by an American engine. 

The first town of importance after leaving Jaffa for Jeru- 
salem is Lydda, mentioned in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, 
and especially noteworthy in New Testament writings as the 
place where Peter healed ^neas. It lies in the Plain of 
Sharon, which was proverbial from Old Testament times for 
its beauty and fertility. It is the largest tract in Palestine 
suitable for cultivation, being fifty miles long and from six to 
twelve miles wide. It abounds with gardens, meadows, grain- 
fields and groves set with oranges and pomegranates, and in 
places it is most lavishly decorated with wild flowers. 

Every part of the land about us is throbbing with historical 
memory. Yonder is Ramleh, said to be the Arimathea of 
New Testament times, with its historic Crusaders' Tower, 120 
feet in height. Here Samuel judged the people, and the chil- 
dren of Israel asked for a king. Beyond we pass through an 
Arab village which was the Ekron of Old Testament times, 
the northern border of Philistia. Next of importance is the 
Hill Gezer with extensive ruins of the ancient city, which 
was presented to Solomon by his father-in-law Pharaoh, as his 
daughter's dowry. 

The next place, lying to the right, contains the ruins of the an- 
cient Bethshemesh, and about two miles away was Zorah, 
the birthplace of Samson. It was here, as well as at Ashdod, 
Gath and Ekron that the Philistines held the ark before they 
returned it to the Israelites, because they felt that it brought 
a curse upon them. 

A little further is a gorge called Wady es Sarar, crossed by 
two high railroad bridges, identified with the home of Samson. 
It is possible to see from the train to the left high up among 
the rocks a grotto called Samson's Cavern. 

A stop is usually made at a station called Bittir, known as 
Baither and Bethar in ancient times. It was once a strongly 
fortified place and on one occasion it cost the Romans three 
years of siege to capture it. Thereupon occurred a frightful 



204 PALESTINE 

massacre, the Talmud stating that the blood on the plain 
reached the nostrils of the horses and flowed down into the 
sea. A few traces of the fortification can still be seen. 

We are now approaching Jerusalem, passing Katamon, 
which is said to mark the home of the godly Simeon, as well 
as the famous monastery of Mar Ely as, which is alleged to be 
the site of the juniper tree where Elijah was refreshed by an 
angel. After fifty-four miles of railroad travel (it is only forty- 
one miles by the carriage road), we hear the conductor shout, 
** All out for Jerusalem." 



VI — JERUSALEM 

Special Note. — As indicated on page 178, the usual way for tourists 
nowadays to reach Jerusalem is via Haifa instead of Jaffa, as there is also 
good railway connection, and the Haifa port is far superior to that of Jaffa. 

JERUSALEM is a very old city. When Abraham re- 
turned from pursuing the kings of the plains, he met 
Melchizedek, king of Salem, the Priest of the most High 
God. Later in the time of the Judges, the name of the city 
was Jebus, and the name Jerusalem was probably evolved from 
Jebusalem for the sake of euphony. 

Its early history was one of war and conquest. It was cap- 
tured by David, and because of its natural position for defense, 
it was made the capital of his kingdom. Under his reign and 
that of Solomon, it became one of the mighty and magnificent 
cities of the world. The Temple of Solomon added not a little 
to its beauty and glory. 

But its greatness was doomed to be short-lived. It was con- 
quered in Rehoboam's time by Shishak king of Egypt, and 
afterwards by the Philistines and Arabians. Under Athaliah 
it was the scene of the worship of Baal, and as a punishment, 
it was taken and sacked by Hazael, King of Syria. Again 



JERUSALEM 205 

under Hezekiah *' the Assyrian came down like a wolf on the 
fold," but it was saved by the presence of the death-angel in 
the Assyrian camp. It was finally destroyed utterly by Nebu- 
chadnezzar, and its inhabitants carried into captivity. 

After fifty years of desolation, it was rebuilt by Nehemiah 
and for a time prospered, but soon became the object of Roman 
conquest and tyranny. Under Herod the Great it was greatly 
enlarged and beautified, and a magnificent new Temple erected. 
This was the City in whose streets Christ walked, and in whose 
Temple He worshipped and taught, and from whose gates He 
was taken out and crucified. 

In 78 A. D. it was besieged by the Romans under Titus. 
The conflict was the fiercest that ever swept over the city, and 
when it was past, Jerusalem was only a lieap of ruins and rub- 
bish. It is literally true that one city is built upon another, and 
that near the temple site, if you would find the remains of the 
first city, you must dig down through 125 feet of the rubbish 
of centuries. No fewer than sixteen sieges have destroyed Je- 
rusalem, and the City of our present day is really the eighth 
built on the ruins of its seven predecessors. 

After the siege of Titus it remained a barren waste without a 
single inhabitant for more than fifty years, and it was then made 
a heathen city, and a temple to Jupiter was built upon the site 
of the Temple of Herod. This continued until the time of 
Constantine, who, after a visit by his good mother Helena and 
her supposed vision of the true cross and the place of cruci- 
fixion, restored its ancient name and made it a Christian city. 
The simple statement of the history of these several hundred 
years shows how utterly preposterous it is to identify its sacred 
places, and how few of the reputed sites can possibly be genuine. 

In 637, the city passed under Moslem dominion, and with 
the exception of the century of Crusader occupation, it has re- 
mained a Mohammedan city, although at present there are 
only about seven thousand Moslems out of a population of 
60,000. Of the remainder, 41,000 are Jews and 13,000 are 
Christians. 



2o6 PALESTINE 

CITY DIVISIONS 

Jerusalem has eleven gates, five of which are closed. The 
two main streets, David and Damascus, traverse the city almost 
at right angles, and mark the various Quarters of the city. 
(See ** Plan of Jerusalem.") It adds greatly to an intelli- 
gent inspection of the city to have the various racial divisions 
clearly defined. As one enters the Jaffa gate, which is near 
the middle of the city on the west side, with the ancient Tower 
of David to the right, a person walks nearly east on David 
Street to the middle of the Temple Area. To the right, as 
one enters, is the Armenian Quarter, and immediately on the 
left is the Christian. The Mohammedan Quarter lies in 
the northeast section of the city, while the Jewish is to the 
south, between the Armenian quarter and the Temple 
Area. 

At night the streets are partly lighted, but few of the shops 
are open, and while the streets are hardly to be considered un- 
safe, still it is scarcely prudent, and of very little advantage in 
the way of sight-seeing, for a tourist to go about alone after 
dark in unfamiliar portions of any Oriental city. 

The City has made great changes within a half century. In 
1838, Dr. Edward Robinson estimated the population at 11,000, 
at that time almost wholly Mohammedan. At the present day, 
the newer portions of the city outside of the walls have many 
imposing modern buildings, largely erected during the last ten 
years. These give this part of the city quite a Continental ef- 
fect. The European people as well as the Turkish official class 
live here, and in this newer portion of the city may also be 
found the numerous hospitals and schools and the consulates 
of the various Powers. The American Consulate, ably 
I A '^ represented by Mr. Addison A. Southard as Consul and 

\^ Mr. Cobb as Vice-Consul, is on the topmost ridge, and 
its flag can be seen all over the city. The Jewish colony 
of Montefiore, with about one hundred and fifty houses 
and over a thousand people and a larger colony to the north- 
west have a very pleasant atmosphere of thrift, and the houses 




JERUSALEM 



JERUSALEM 207 

are given rent free to the favoured people who live in them, so 
long as they maintain proper care and cleanliness. 

SURROUNDING VALLEYS 

Jerusalem is built upon two prominent hills, Mt. Zion and 
Mt. Moriah, on either side of which are valleys that have played 
an important role in its history. The considerable valley which 
once divided these summits, known as the Tyropean or 
Cheesemonger^s Valley, which in the time of Christ had a great 
bridge which reached from the Temple Area to the hill oppo- 
site, is now so filled with a rubbish of centuries, as to have al- 
most disappeared. 

The Valley of Hinnom, which lies to the west, has very 
steep sides, and has formed a most admirable defense for the 
city, having often been literally filled with the bodies of attacking 
besiegers. It is also known as the Valley of Gehenna, or 
'* pleasant valley,'* which certainly proved a misnomer when in 
later times the valley was used as a place for burning the refuse 
of the city. The spot forming a wide oblong at the point 
where the valley makes an abrupt turn to the east, is called 
ToPHET, which name has also suffered a reversal of for- 
tune. It originally was a name of good repute, probably mean- 
ing ^^ garden," and it was in this immediate vicinity that 
Solomon had one of his *' Gardens of Dehght.'* It gained its 
evil significance through the offering of sacrifices to Baal and 
the abominable orgies which were attendant thereunto. Kings 
like Ahaz and Manasseh actually shared in these practices, but 
the good King Josiah put an end to these iniquities by spread- 
ing bones over the place, and making it a public dumping 
ground for the city^s refuse. 

The Valley of the Kedron, also called the Valley of Je- 
hoshaphat, lies to the east of the city, and has been equally use- 
ful in its defense. On both of its steep sides, the rock 
has been penetrated with tombs, and here are the reputed 
tombs of many of the Bible worthies, such as Isaiah, Hezekiah, 
Zechariah, St. James, Joseph and Mary, Joachim and Anne, and 



2o8 PALESTINE 

many others. The Tomb of the Virgin is the most conspic- 
uous of these, and has an ancient origin, having been located 
by the Empress Helena through a vision. The Church built 
over it is extremely old, having been erected about the middle 
of the twelfth century, and has in it an altar for Mohammedans 
who unite with the Christians in venerating the memory of the 
Virgin. A prominent feature of this valley is Absalom's Tomb, 
the present day Jews still maintaining the ancient usage of pelt- 
ing it with stones of derision. It need scarcely be added that 
there is almost no historical basis for the location of these 
tombs. 

These two great ravines, Hinnom and Kedron, come to- 
gether at the southern end of the city, and together form the 
great Wady en Nar, their altitude at their point of juncture 
being 600 feet below the ridge from which each started, giving 
a most abrupt and striking effect from the southern portion of 
the city. 

THE ^^MOUNTAINS ROUND ABOUT 
JERUSALEM'^ 

Mt. Zion and Mt. Moriah, on which Jerusalem is builded, 
are between 2,500 and 2,600 feet above sea-level. The moun- 
tains which are about the city are scarcely enough higher in 
altitude to be very imposing, but every one of them teems 
with historical associations. 

To the east is the Mount of Olives, so enshrined with 
religious sentiment that it is truly the most sacred of all moun- 
tains. In Old Testament times it was early associated with 
the worship of Jehovah, and it was here that King David found 
a refuge from the enmity of his unnatural son Absalom. It is 
the life of Christ, however, which gives it such special religious 
significance. As a favourite retreat where He spent whole 
nights in prayer, and as the place of His ascension, the Chris- 
tian pilgrim finds here the thrill of intimate association with 
his Divine Lord. 

The View from Mt. Olivet is worth going around the 



JERUSALEM 209 

world to see. Along its far-reaching horizon and within its 
circle of vision are many spots closely identified with the life 
of Christ. To the west is Jerusalem, '* beautiful for situa- 
tion," with its surrounding panorama of hills and valleys, the 
picture idealized by distance. To the east there is a glimpse of 
the Dead Sea lying 3,900 feet below, together with the whole 
Jordan valley winding its way along the shores of the sacred 
stream, while in the background are the mountains of Moab, 
with the historic peak of Mt. Nebo. To the north are the 
rugged and picturesque mountains of Benjamin, and to the south 
lies the wilderness of Judea, together with the fertile plains of 
Bethlehem and Hebron. 

It is impossible to wholly spoil a mountain, but unfortunately 
the craze of putting buildings on various alleged sites has 
marred the crest of Olivet. The Russian Tower is rather an 
impressive structure, and the view to which reference has 
been made may be emphasized from its high summit. The 
Greek Church has not been satisfied with this imposing piece 
of architecture, but has added various chapels and shrines and 
official residences, and the Latin Church helps to rob the 
mount of its solitary grandeur by a Paternoster Chapel, 
upon whose walls the Lord's Prayer is inscribed in thirty-two 
different languages. On Ascension day, great crowds of native 
Christians and pilgrims hold services in the Church over the 
alleged spot of the Ascension, an impression in the limestone 
rock suggestive of a footprint being shown to the credulous as 
having been made by our Saviour just before His ascension. 

The Mount of Offence is to the southeast of modern Jerusa- 
lem. It receives its forbidding name from the fact that here the 
degenerate Solomon ^' built an high place for Chemosh, the abomi- 
nation of Moab, and for Moloch, the abomination of the chil- 
dren, of Ammon.'* On its rough rocky side to the northwest is 
the village of Silo am, rather quaint and picturesque from afar, 
but on close view filthy enough to be still the place of abomina- 
tions. 

The Hill of Evil Council is to the southwest, just oppo- 



210 PALESTINE 

site Mt. Zion. It receives its name from the tradition that here 
at his residence Caiaphas made the agreement with Judas by 
which he was to betray Christ into the hands of His enemies. 
The Aceldama, or Field of Blood, is still shown, as well as 
the so-called Judas Tree, on which it is asserted that the 
despairing traitor ended his life. The modern city is also 
growing rapidly in this direction. 

Mount Scopus to the north is really an extension of 
Olivet. It was given the name of **the Prospect'* by 
Josephus, because of the fine view it affords, and it well deserves 
its name. It was here that Titus intrenched his forces in that 
disastrous siege that for a time blotted Jerusalem from the map 
of the world. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 

The Christian visitor's heart cannot fail to be stirred when 
first he passes through the gates of the Holy City, and realizes 
the meaning of the words of the Psalmist, only changing the 
tense of the verb, *^My feet do stand within thy gates, O 
Jerusalem." 

The crowded streets with their Babel of confusion, — the 
shouts of the donkey boys, the loud cries of the camel drivers, 
and the calls of those who would sell their wares to every 
passer-by, together with the hurly-burly of people in strange 
garb and speaking in strange tongues, — all this tends to destroy 
some of the religious glamour. 

The following experience of Dr. Chapman is full of sug- 
gestive interest. 

*' Our first real view of Jerusalem was from the roof of the 
Grand Hotel. The moon was full, the sky without a cloud, 
the city, so noisy a few hours before, was wrapped in an almost 
deathlike silence. From this vantage point and under these 
ideal conditions, the city showed at its best. On the left was 
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, to the right the Mosque of 
Omar. Night had cast a sort of mantle over the filth of the 
city, and it was a joy to stand for a full hour and look, first 



JERUSALEM 211 

upon the sleeping city, and then upon the Mount of Olives just 
beyond. A moonlight view of Jerusalem is scarcely less im- 
pressive, and even more suggestive, than the Acropolis by moon- 
light. '^ 

ENCIRCLING THE WALLS 

It will help to give a much clearer conception of the city and 
its environment, if the visitor will make a complete circuit of 
the walls. It will be time well spent. Starting from the Jaffa 
Gate, at which point Nehemiah journeyed forth to behold the 
destruction of the walls, we go southward and for a few hun- 
dred yards we follow the Bethlehem road, with the citadel and 
barracks to the left. It should be noted that the two main 
streets leading to the Jaffa and Damascus gates divide the city 
into the four quarters to which a reference has heretofore been 
made. Turning the corner of the wall we come to the Zion 
Gate, near the Tomb of David. 

A little to the east the descent of Mt. Zion into the Tyropean 
valley begins, and in the middle of it is the small Dung Gate. 
A ten minutes' walk further brings us to the place where the 
city wall connects with the Temple enclosure. Soon we reach 
the Triple Gate, and a little further on, the Single Gate. 
It is around this portion of the wall that Captains Warren and 
Wilson made their interesting discoveries which were begun in 
1868. There are the remains of an arch visible which seem to 
indicate that there was a bridge here crossing the Kedron 
Valley. 

A little beyond we see the exterior of the Golden Gate, 
which projects six feet from the wall, with its double entrance 
and fine ornamentation. It is believed by some that near here 
in the original wall was the gate of the ** Triumphal Entry,'* 
and the gate through which the prophecy declares that our 
Lord is to pass when He comes again in glory and power. 
The Turks themselves believe that their rule will be at an end 
when this gate is opened. 

Near the Gate, about thirty feet above the ground, one be- 



212 PALESTINE 

holds quite a large column protruding from the wall. The 
Mohammedans state that Mohammed is to sit there when the 
Day of Judgment comes, and the people are to gather before 
him in the valley. They say that a bridge is to be run from 
this point to the Mount of Olives, which is to be as narrow as a 
Damascus blade, and that it will be a test of every one's ortho- 
doxy. It is expected that followers of the prophet will make 
the journey easily over this novel bridge, but all others are ex- 
pected to fall into the valley and thus slip into perdition. 

Going a hundred feet further we come to St. Stephen's Gate, 
near which Stephen is believed to have been martyred, a place 
on a rock being shown as the exact spot. Turning the corner 
of the wall we come a considerable distance beyond to the un- 
important Herod Gate. A little distance beyond is the 
Damascus Gate, the handsomest of all the city portals. 
While this is quite modern, the foundations are very old. 

Following the walls still further past an entirely modern 
entrance called the New Gate, we presently reach Jaffa Gate 
from which we started, having completed the entire round of 
the city, a distance of two and a half miles. 



PLACES OF interest 

Considering that the city is less than half as large as Central 
Park in New York City, it is perfectly marvellous how much 
of surpassing interest is crowded into its narrow limits. 

THE TEMPLE AREA 

Whatever else may be said about the sites of Jerusalem, one 
thing is positively sure, — the Mosque of Omar, or as it should 
properly be called, the Dome of the Rock, stands where the 
small but exquisite Temple of Solomon stood, and where after- 
wards the imposing Temple of Herod was erected. There is 
little certainty that this was the spot where Abraham attempted 
to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. 







PLAN 

OF THE 

TEMPLE AREA 

ATTHEPRETSENTOAY 

^eoX^ of F'e,<d ^ 



JERUSALEM 213 

Venerated alike by Jew, Moslem and Christian, it is truly 
the greatest of all '* Holy Places." Up to fifty years ago the 
Moslems so restricted this entire area, that no Christian was 
able to gain entrance. 

The enclosure has an area of thirty-six acres, about one-sixth 
of the entire space inside of the walls of the city. 

On the northwest corner is a graceful minaret upon the site 
of the ancient Fortress of Antonia, where some of the most 
severe conflicts in Jewish history were fought. Here it was 
that the Apostle Paul was rescued by Roman soldiers from a 
mob of infuriated Jews. 

From the southeast corner there is a beautiful view over 
Kedron and Olivet. Just underneath by a pair of stairs, one 
descends to the so-called *^ Stables of Solomon," never used 
as stables except by the Crusaders. It gives the impression 
of being a great subterranean cathedral with over a hundred 
massive columns. It was probably originally used by Solomon or 
Herod as a storehouse or granary. 

The Mosque El Aksa is the largest individual structure 
in Jerusalem, measuring 272x184 feet, probably at one time 
a Christian Church. Although having a somewhat bare ex- 
terior, it helps to give impressiveness to the whole Temple 
Area. Here every Friday the Turkish governor and his staff 
came to worship when Jerusalem was still under Turkish dom- 
ination. In the Mosque are some ancient pillars of marble, 
probably from the Temple of Herod, and a pulpit of artistically 
carved wood. 

Below El Aksa by an underground passage one can see the 
wonderful substructure of the Mosque, and the well-preserved 
remains of the Old Double Gate, belonging undoubtedly to 
the Jewish period. Through this southern Gate to the Temple 
we may believe that Christ often came and went. Near this 
underground Gate is also a great Cistern, 40 feet deep and 738 
feet in circumference, probably the " Sealed Fountain '' of the 
olden days, built by Solomon. 



214 PALESTINE 

THE DOME OF THE ROCK 
This is usually called the Mosque of Omar, but as it is 
not a Mosque and was not built by the caliph Omar, it is more 
appropriate to call it the ^' Dome of the Rock.'* It is a beau- 
tiful building, undoubtedly the very finest in Asia, — indeed, 
Professor Lewis in his *^ Holy Places in Jerusalem " declares it 
to be the most beautiful building in existence. It is octagonal 
in form, each side being sixty-six and one-half feet wide, fairly 
glittering with richly coloured marbles and tiles, with a dome 
that is the very perfection of exquisite proportion. In part the 
work of the Moslems before the Crusades, it was enlarged by 
the Crusaders, and finally put into its present form by Sulieman 
the Magnificent in 15 6i. 

In the Interior, two circles of differently coloured marble 
pillars divide it into three parts, the pillars being also separated 
by some artistic iron work, made by the Crusaders. The 
handsomely coloured dome, 1153^ feet high, is remarkably 
impressive. Taken as a whole, the marble mosaics, the rich 
and tasteful decorations, the magnificent rugs with their har- 
moniously blended colours (the gift of the former Sultan), the 
noteworthy stained-glass windows which date to 1528, and the 
variety of architectural effects and groupings, — all combine to 
make this a masterpiece of beauty. It is the chief landmark 
of Jerusalem. " From whatever point that graceful dome with 
its beautiful precinct emerges to view, it at once dignifies the 
whole city.'* 

The main feature of interest is the Rock itself, which is 
directly under the Dome, and marks the site of the great Altar 
of Burnt Offering. It is fifty-seven feet long by forty-three 
wide. While no one is permitted to go inside the high railing 
which guards it, traces of conduits which originally carried off 
the blood of the sacrifice can be distinctly seen. There is also 
a cavern under the south end from which it is believed there 
is a passage leading to the Kedron Valley, but a huge marble 
slab fills the exit, and the Moslems are too superstitious to 
allow any one to remove it. 



JERUSALEM 215 

The Moslems believe that Mohammed made his last prayer 
on this Rock, and when he went up to heaven, the Rock 
started to follow him, and was only kept back by the angel 
Gabriel, whose finger-marks may still be seen. Gabriel must 
have had a strong grip to leave a print upon the solid stone, 
although he was unable to press the stone back into its place, for 
it is affirmed that the Rock is still suspended in the air. Into 
a tile near by Mohammed is said to have driven certain nails, 
which are gradually to work through the stone and fall into the 
cavern below. When all these nails have gone through, the 
end of the world will come. Asserting that there are only three 
of these left, the attendants advise people to walk softly, and 
by a gift of money to help postpone the catastrophe. 

CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 

On the present site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre the 
Romans about 125 a. d. erected a temple to Venus, and there 
is a shadow of argument in the statement that the Emperor 
Hadrian knew that this was the spot venerated by Christians 
as the scene of the crucifixion and wished to desecrate it. 
But it is little likely that the Christians of that period, if there 
were any in Jerusalem, could have located the site in a desolate 
waste that had been absolutely uninhabited for fifty years. 
Eusebius, not earlier than 325 a. d., writes of the building of 
the Church on the site of Hadrian's temple of Venus, because 
it was believed to be the place of Christ's burial, but of course 
he simply accepted the result of the Empress Helena's vision, 
which located it here. The first Church was dedicated 2^2)^ a. d. 
The belief that this same site was also that of Calvary was not 
hinted at by Eusebius in his elaborate account, and seems to 
have been first asserted in 333 by the Bordeaux pilgrims. 

The Church built by Constantine was destroyed in 614 by 
the Persians, and was rebuilt soon after from collections taken 
all over the Christian world, but was again destroyed in 10 10 by 
the mad Caliph Hakem. It was rebuilt in 1040 and enlarged 
by the Crusaders and remained until 1808, when it was des- 



2i6 PALESTINE 

troyed by fire. It was rebuilt in 1810 at an expense of 
13,000,000, of which at least a third was never accounted 
for. 

The Turkish guards hold the keys and are always in evi- 
dence, largely from the fact of the constant disturbances that 
arise among the various Christian sects, especially on Festival 
days. Here Latin, Greek, Armenian, Syrian, Copt and Abys- 
sinian has each his own particular shrines within the enclosure, 
and each regards the others as intruders and pretenders. 

The Church (open all day except 11 to 2, although 
during this time open for special fee of one franc, a candle 
needed, apply to custodian), is a series of connected shrines 
and chapels, the whole plot being 350 x 280 feet. It is a veritable 
religious museum, there being over thirty so-called sacred sites 
within the narrow enclosure. Among these are the exact spot 
where the dust was procured for the creation of Adam ; the 
actual grave of Adam, upon which Mark Twain says he flung 
himself in an agony of tears because of his sorrow in losing this 
departed ancestor ; the tear-drops of the Virgin indented in the 
stone in the form of a cross, — and a host of similar grotesque 
traditions. 

Most of the holy sites are connected with our Lord's passion 
and death. Here, for instance, is the Stone of Unction, 
where His body was laid for the anointing, and you behold the 
devout Russian pilgrim covering it with kisses and measuring 
it that he may make his winding-sheet the same size. Here is 
the Chapel of the Parted Raiment marking the place where 
His garments were gambled for. That spot just beyond is 
where they crowned Him with thorns, and there is the place 
where they scourged Him. Here is where they nailed Him to 
the Cross, and there is the very rock where the Cross stood 
with the actual cavity in which it rested. A few feet away is 
a rock cleft, so they tell you, to the very centre of the earth, 
and near by is the place where the Roman centurion said, 
" This is the Son of God." A few feet further is the Altar of 
the Stabat, where the body of her divine Son was received by 



JERUSALEM 217 

the Virgin mother, and not far away you will be shown the 
spot where He appeared to Mary Magdalen after His resur- 
rection. 

Down a stairway of thirty steps, you can go to the Chapel 
OF St. Helena. Here the mother of Constantine sat while 
the work of finding the crosses went on, and at last, so tradi- 
tion says, three crosses were found. They did not know which 
was the true cross, so they carried one into the presence of a 
sick woman. It proved to be the cross of a thief, and she im- 
mediately became a maniac. They brought another which 
proved to be the cross of the second thief, and she was thrown 
into spasms. But when they brought the third she was imme- 
diately restored, and thus the true Cross was identified. 

In the centre of the Rotunda, which is the most impressive 
architectural feature of the Church, is the Chapel of the 
Holy Sepulchre, This spot has been regarded by pilgrims 
for fifteen centuries, as the most sacred in the world. Those 
who believe the traditional view may be seen prostrating them- 
selves in tears and kissing the marble slab, under which they 
believe that our Lord was buried. 

Amid all the strifes and superstitions of the various sects rep- 
resented, which certainly are not a happy commentary upon 
the life and spirit of the Saviour of love, they all stand for 
a common truth which is here symbolized, and which is ac- 
cepted by all Christians the world over. On Easter Day, all 
sects wait for the miraculous manifestation of the Holy Fire, 
which is supposed to issue from the Sepulchre. 

Before leaving the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, special at- 
tention should be called to a very fine painting of a Pieta in the 
Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross, representing Mary with the 
head of the dead Christ resting in her lap. 

THE TRUE CALVARY 

While the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has for fifteen cen- 
turies been believed to be the site of Calvary and of the Tomb, 
in latter years this view has rapidly become discredited. As 



2i8 PALESTINE 

early as 1738 a German by the name of Korte after a visit to 
Jerusalem wrote a pamphlet expressing grave doubts as to the 
credibility of the site. In 1856, Dr. Edward Robinson, the 
distinguished American scholar whose name is so closely con- 
nected with explorations and discoveries in Palestine, proved 
that this traditional site was within the walls of the city at the 
time of the crucifixion. The '* Second Wall ** which stood in 
the time of Christ can be faintly traced from the Tower of 
David under the Grand Hotel, along the basement of Freres 
College to the Damascus Gate, making a connected line prov- 
ing beyond peradventure that the site of the Church was 
within the walls and could not possibly have been Calvary. 

The New Calvary, or Gordon's Calvary as it is usually 
called, a hill just outside the gates to the north of the city, 
meets all requirements. It is the only noticeable elevation near 
the walls to the north, and may be seen from all directions. 
It has been known by the Jews from time immemorial as the 
''Place of Stoning,*' and the evidence is strong in its favour 
that it is the same *' Place of Stoning *' on which the Talmud 
distinctly says that crucifixions were practiced. It is just out- 
side the present city wall, which some believe at this point 
to be identical with the '' Second Wall " of the time of Christ. 
A road leading from the Fortress of Antonia passed in the 
immediate vicinity. It is not far from the ancient Damascus 
Gate and Damascus road, and hence easily accessible to the 
crowds who '' passed by.'' 

The contour of the hill is not unlike a skull, and from 
a certain angle several old tombs cut in the rock are very 
suggestive of eye sockets and help to emphasize the skull- 
like impression, although we cannot be sure that these tombs 
existed at the time of Christ. The Jews still maintain 
the ancient custom of spitting towards this hill, and al- 
though the beginning of this usage is lost in obscurity, it 
helps to prove that this was the ancient '* Place of Stoning." 
The genuineness of this site as the real Calvary was first af- 
firmed by Major Conder, and by our own Dr. Selah Merrill, 



JERUSALEM 219 

but it bears the name of Gordon's Calvary, because General 
Gordon of sainted memory during his visit expressed his belief 
in it, and an enterprising photographer took the picture of it 
and called it by his name. 

This eminence, covering about three acres and preserved 
intact because for centuries it has been a Moslem burying- 
ground, presents strong and conclusive evidence of being the 
actual spot of the Crucifixion. It carries instant conviction 
even to critical and conservative minds. Mr. Moody, Dr. 
Talmage and others have preached on this crest to hundreds of 
deeply moved people. Those who were members of the 
^* Celtic Cruise *' of 1902 cannot forget the profound impression 
made by the service conducted by Dr. Josiah Strong of New 
York and other prominent ministers, and the Sunday-school 
Convention at Jerusalem at 1904 held a service here equally 
notable and inspiring. The entrance is through an iron gate 
near the Damascus Road. 

Dr. Chapman relates his experience as follows: **0n 
Sunday afternoon we held a most delightful service on 
Calvary. The old Bible became a new Bible when the accounts 
of the crucifixion were read in our hearing. I stood where I 
could look over in the direction of the Mosque of Omar, where 
once the temple stood, and I remembered that it was there in 
the olden days that the priest put his hand upon the head of 
the goat, confessed the sins of the people, and then by the hand 
of a fit person sent that goat into the wilderness bearing the in- 
iquities of the children of Israel ; and my eyes filled with tears 
when I heard the minister reading, ' All we hke sheep have 
gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the 
Lord has laid upon Him the iniquities of us all.' " 

THE GARDEN TOMB 
It is distinctly stated that ^' the sepulchre was nigh at hand.'* 
As it happens, there are a number of rock tombs in the vicinity 
of the New Calvary, although none of them answers to the gen- 
eral description. In recent years some excavations have been 



220 PALESTINE 

conducted by Major Conder in the vicinity on the northwest- 
ern side of the hill, and a single tomb was discovered that 
corresponds remarkably to the New Testament narrative. For 
instance, it gives the conditions, as few ancient tombs do, 
whereby Mary from without could get a view of the angels in- 
side the tomb. 

The low door, ten steps below the general level of the garden 
in which the tomb was found, admits the visitor into an un- 
usually large tomb chamber. In one corner is a receptacle for 
the dead separated from the rest of the chamber by a very low 
stone partition, and this place is supposed by many people to 
be the actual resting-place of the body of Christ. An English 
clergyman. Rev. Haskett Smith, has succeeded in enHsting a 
number of people to form a company, which has bought and is 
now taking reverent care of the garden and its Tomb. 

On the walls of the Tomb have been found inscribed roughly 
on the stone the Greek letters IC, XP., A and Q,, as well as a 
Roman cross. It is perfectly clear that these date somewhere 
after the fifth century, but it goes to indicate that the early 
Christians regarded the tomb as sacred, and made it a sort of 
shrine. 

It is far from conclusive that this was actually the garden 
and the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, but most reverent 
Christians on entering into this rocky enclosure are profoundly 
impressed with the conviction, ^'This is the place where the 
Lord lay.»» 

PLACES OF SECONDARY INTEREST 

While the places already described should have first and 
thorough attention, there are scores of others of lesser impor- 
tance that cannot fail to interest the visitor. 

While the religious sentiment that gathers about the name of 
the Garden of Gethsemane is second only to that of Calvary 
and the Garden Tomb, still the two Gethsemanes, whose com- 
petitive claims are so strongly urged by the Greek and Roman 
Churches, contain so much of external frippery, that it is very 



JERUSALEM 221 

difficult to associate with them the profound religious feelings 
which the name calls forth. 

There is no question but that the original Garden was some- 
where in this vicinity, and that it probably was large enough to 
cover both the sites claimed. The Latin Garden seems to ap- 
peal the more to the American visitor, in spite of the multi- 
plicity of tawdry shrines, because of the eight large hoary oUve 
trees within the enclosure. These are probably not much less 
than a thousand years old and profoundly move the religious 
imagination. The oil from the olives brings a very large price, 
as well as the stones or pits of the fruit, which are made up into 
rosaries. But as in reality the trees have practically ceased to 
bear fruit, and as immense quantities of oil in small vials are 
sold as the genuine Gethsemane oil at fancy prices, it goes with- 
out saying that there is a large amount of imposture practiced. 

The Garden is about 300 x 200 feet, surrounded by a high 
wall, and the inner part enclosing the trees is still further pro- 
tected from tourist vandalism by a high iron fence. While the 
various representations of the scenes of the night before the 
Crucifixion, which may be seen on the inside walls, certainly 
do not add anything to the religious value of the visit, the beau- 
tiful marble group of Canova's, The Agony y is worthy of atten- 
tion. The Garden is best seen towards evening when visitors 
are few, and when the calm and quiet add greatly to the relig- 
ious solemnity and impressiveness. The monk-guide expects 
three piastres fee, and usually presents a small bouquet of 
flowers. 

Just outside and below the Temple Area, near the interesting 
Robinson's Arch, which is an abutment of the large bridge 
which spanned the Tyropean Valley, is the Wall of Wailing, 
156 feet long and 56 feet high. Here, especially on Fri- 
day afternoons the Jews gather to bewail the desolation of Je- 
rusalem and to pray for the restoration of the glory of Israel. 
It is an open paved court, filled with lamenting Jews of all 
classes and ages, and of both sexes, who recite in a monotonous 
voice from the mournful passages of Lamentations and the 



222 PALESTINE 

Psalms. They also put little slips of Hebrew Scripture passages 
as well as nails into the cracks of the walls, which are sent by dis- 
tant Jews who desire thus to be vicariously represented. As such 
requests are usually accompanied by a small payment, there are 
some Jews who make a comfortable living at the practice. 
While it is evident that the ceremony is entirely perfunctory in 
most cases, many persons will be seen who show manifest sin- 
cerity and sorrow. It certainly makes very real the vanished 
greatness of Israel. 

The Pools of Siloam are situated at the juncture of the 
Hinnom and Kedron Valleys, near the southern end of the city. 
They are still connected with the conduit, 1,700 feet long, 
joined in ancient times with the Virgin's Fountain, but they re- 
ceive no water, and are partially filled with stones and decay- 
ing garbage. Whatever poetic conception the visitor may have 
had of these pools will be rudely shattered, and he will be apt 
to sing with less unction the beautiful lines from Heber, 

" By cool Siloam's shady rill, 
How fair the lily grows. ^* 

The Via Dolorosa begins on the east of the city not far 
from St. Stephen's Gate, and continues to the Church of the 
Holy Sepulchre. The devout pilgrims, who question nothing, 
regard this as the most sacred of all streets. The first station 
of the Via Dolorosa is in front of the Turkish barracks, and 
marks the House of Pilate ; thence past the Ecce Homo arch, 
where Pilate is supposed to have said ''Behold the Man*'; 
thence to where Jesus fell under the weight of the cross, and so 
through all the fourteen stations, the last five of which are 
within the walls of the Church. It is of course impossible that 
this is the original way of the Cross, as the Jerusalem of Christ's 
time, except the Temple Area, is buried under the rubbish of 
the centuries anywhere from a depth of thirty to a hundred 
feet. 

The Tower of David has a conspicuous position, and its 




THE JEWS' WAILING PLACE THE "ECCE HOMO" ARCH 

ENTRANCE TO THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHER 

THE HOLY SEPULCHER At the two round holes the sacred fire 

THE STONE THE ANGELS ROLLED AWAY appears at Easter 

AT THE ENTRANCE TO A TOMB 



1 



JERUSALEM 223 

site was originally selected because of its natural advantages for 
defense. Here David built a strong fortification, which was 
strengthened in the time of Herod. The great foundation 
stones undoubtedly stood in the time of Christ, and we may 
believe that His shadow in passing often fell upon them. In- 
side the Tower is a cistern, filled largely from the rainfall. 
The Tower was formerly used by Turkish soldiers as barracks. 
The view from the top is the finest in the city. 

On Christian Street as one approaches the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre, by going through almost any one of the shops, one 
can see in the rear the Pool of Hezekiah, a large reservoir 
250 X 150 feet, still containing water. The tradition is that it 
was built by ^'good King Hezekiah," but there is no certainty 
on this point. 

Near the Damascus Gate to the east is a great cavern called 
Solomon's Quarry, on the assumption that the greatest of 
the kings of Jerusalem used the stone which has extensively 
been removed. The Quarry extends nearly seven hundred feet 
under the city, its roof being supported by large natural pillars. 
Its stone is exceedingly white and when first quarried is quite 
soft, but it hardens upon being taken out and exposed to the 
air. The place is doubly interesting to members of the 
Masonic order, as many hold that Masonry was here instituted 
by King Solomon himself. Emblems made from the stone are 
highly prized by the fraternity, and in several instances large 
building blocks have been shipped to this country to be used 
in Masonic structures. There is very little doubt but that the 
various Temples that stood on Mount Moriah were built from 
the stone in this quarry. 

The Church of the Redeemer is a German Lutheran 
Church which in 1898 was dedicated with much pomp in the 
presence of the former German Emperor. It has incorporated 
into it a doorway from the ruins of the original Hospital 
founded by the Knights of St. John, afterwards known as the 
Knights of Malta. The view from the tower is very fine and 
should not be missed. 



224 PALESTINE 

The Tombs of the Kings are to be found about half a 
mile north of the Damascus Gate. While tradition asserts 
that they are the tombs of the ancient Jewish Kings, it is now 
generally believed that they are those of Queen Helena of 
Adiabene and her family. On the facade there may be seen 
some of the finest carving which has come down to us from 
ancient times, and their character indicates that the tombs are 
Jewish. 

The Pool of Bethesda is just outside the north wall of the 
Temple Area. It was 372x126 feet, with a depth of about 
sixty-eight feet. The Crusaders evidently beheved this to be 
the Bethesda pool, as they built five porches around it corre- 
sponding to the description of John 5:2. Recent excavations 
by the Palestine Exploration Fund, however, seem to make it 
clear that the original pool was on the site of the Church of 
St. Anne. 

There are scores of reputed sacred places like the Chamber 
OF THE Last Supper, where to this day on Maunday Thursday 
the monks wash the feet of pilgrims ; the Judgment Hall of 
Pilate, now a Roman Catholic School, where an alleged frag- 
ment of the original pavement is shown ; the so-called Tomb 
OF David, also said to have been the place of Christ's appear- 
ance after the Resurrection, the scene of Pentecost and of the 
residence and death of the Virgin Mary ; the Cavern of the 
Apostles, where they are said to have hidden while Christ 
was in the tomb, — but it is quite unnecessary to dwell on these, 
as they and similar traditions have absolutely no foundation in 
fact. 

The Palestine Exploration Fund has certainly cast 
much new light upon Bible subjects. A new map has been 
prepared, 600 Bible sites fixed, the boundaries of the tribes 
retraced, and much Bible history verified. In Jerusalem it 
has determined {a) the extent of the city in the time of Christ ; 
(b) the area of the Temple enclosure at the time of Herod's 
enlargement ; (c) the site of the New Calvary, although on this 
point it is not well to be dogmatic. Many lesser discoveries 



JERUSALEM 225 

like that of the original Pool of Bethesda, could be mentioned. 
It has been made increasingly evident that Palestine is truly 
the Land of the Book, and that the Bible is the Book of the 
Land. 

THE PEOPLE 

While Mohammedans, Jews and Armenians have distinguish- 
ing quarters, each with their characteristic costumes and 
customs, many other nationalities are represented. 

The Jews, although representing only about ten per cent, of 
the inhabitants of Palestine, are cherishing the most sanguine 
hopes of taking full possession and control of the '< Promised 
Land.'^ As a whole they represent an inferior type of Jews, 
whose attitude has been changed from servility to arrogance, 
since their proposed political supremacy. 

Zionism, which represents this new movement of making the 
Jews the possessors of Palestine, thus fulfilling the prophecies of 
the Old Testament, is as yet on a very precarious basis. It 
rests largely upon Balfour's declaration in November, 191 7: 
*' His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment 
in Palestine of a National Home for the Jewish people, and 
will use their best endeavour to facilitate the achievement of 
this object under British mandate.'* This had the approval of 
the Versailles treaty. 

Sir Herbert Samuel was appointed the British High Commis- 
sioner of Palestine. The military occupation ceased and a 
civil administration has been substituted. Order is being 
maintained by civil force or gendarmerie taken from the people. 
Taxes have been reduced and many imposts have been re- 
moved. On a revenue of ^11,000,000 Palestine is self-sup- 
porting. 

Education is being developed and a teacher provided free for 
any community providing a building and keeping it in repair. 
A Teachers* Training School of men and also one of women 
have been established ; and fifteen hospitals, twenty-one dis- 
pensaries, eight clinics and five epidemic posts are in operation. 



226 PALESTINE 

All schools are medically inspected. Free quinine is being 
distributed and a Travelling Ophthalmic Hospital is checking 
the heretofore prevalent eye diseases. 

Sir Herbert Samuel's administration staff has 1,290 Chris- 
tians, 616 Jews and 597 Moslems. His advisory council con- 
sists of four Moslems, three Christians and three Jews. Once 
more there is a Jewish Sanhedrin representing different parts of 
Palestine, which seeks to serve Jewish interests. 

There are however great obstacles in the way of Zionism as- 
suming political control of Palestine. Although since the war 
about 10,000 Jews have been added, they still represent only 
one-tenth of the population. The recent arrogant attitude of 
the Palestinian Jews toward other races has aroused bitter an- 
tagonism, not only from the Moslems but also from the Chris- 
tians. 

The Right Rev. Dr. Maclnnes, Anglican Bishop of Jerusa- 
lem, has expressed the opinion that Zionism as a political move- 
ment is doomed to failure. There is a great division of opinion 
even in the Jewish world regarding it. Former Ambassador 
Morgenthau and such Jewish leaders as Justice Brandeis and 
Judge Mack are doubtful of its feasibility as a political move- 
ment. 

In May, 1922, An ti- Jewish riots broke out in Jerusalem and 
eighty-eight persons were killed. The growing antagonism 
against the Zionists gives little hope of its permanency. 

Undoubtedly the only wise way would be to maintain a 
British mandate and give the Jews an opportunity under this 
administration to seek their social betterment and the realiza- 
tion of their religious ideals. 

Under the intelligent administration of Sir Herbert Samuel, 
large improvements are on the way by irrigation and afforesta- 
tion, by which land will be redeemed and cultivated. It is be- 
lieved by some that oil may be discovered in Palestine. The 
water power of the River Jordan which falls 2,200 feet in a 
flow of sixty miles has immense potential value. The expendi- 
ture of ^5,000,000 for a projected dam about eight miles below 



JERUSALEM 227 

Lake Tiberius would furnish power enough for all Palestine's 
needs for many years to come. Doubtless larger capital would 
be forthcoming if the Zionist movement should prosper. 

Zionism as a whole has been approved by the United States 
and by the League of Nations, but Italy and France as well as 
Mohammedan lands have taken strong exception. It may be 
hoped that Zionism will be satisfied with making Palestine a 
great religious center and cooperate in making Palestine once 
more a redeemed land, instead of merely seeking political con- 
trol. 

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES 

The effect of Jerusalem upon the pilgrim visiting its shores is 
to wonderfully quicken faith in spite of many shams and im- 
postures. To use Sir Lawrence Hutton's words, '^ Jesus 
Christ becomes a reality.*' 

Missionary endeavour is however largely handicapped by the 
hostile attitude of the Greek, Roman and Armenian Churches 
toward each other and toward missionary workers. The 
Church Missionary Society of England has a cathedral and 
bishopric in Jerusalem, established in 1841, and have also es- 
tablished missions in several parts of Palestine. The London 
Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews ; The So- 
ciety for Promoting Female Education in the East and the 
British Foreign Bible Society of Scotland are all doing good 
work. The American Quakers have a magnificent work at 
Ramallah just north of Jerusalem. 

The American Colony is doing a large work in Jerusalem. 
It has as many as 1,000 pupils in its schools and during the 
war they took care of as many as 1,100 of the sick and wounded 
and fed from 2,000 to 7,000 refugees a day, getting part of its 
funds from the Pious Foundations of the Moslem State Church. 
This colony was founded in 1881 and there are 90 members 
of the colony, mostly American citizens, but representing ten 
nationalities. They hold services every day and twice on 
Sunday. 



228 PALESTINE 

There are a number of hospitals, largely established and 
supported by religious organizations, including several which 
specialize in leprosy and ophthalmia. These diseases are quite 
prevalent on account of the unsanitary habits of the people. 

There are no American missionaries operating in Jerusalem. 
In 1 819, the American Board (Congregational) sent mission- 
aries there, but the work was found unpracticable. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Climate. — On account of the exposed elevation of the city, 
the weather in March is apt to be raw and sometimes rainy. 
It will be necessary for visitors to come prepared with warm 
wraps. Steamer rugs are important for auto trips and some- 
times for extra bed covering. 

Carriages and Autos cannot enter the narrow streets in- 
side the walls, but are needed for the immediate vicinity. The 
arrangements for autos to Bethlehem and Hebron, as well as to 
Jericho, the Jordan and the Dead Sea, are usually made in ad- 
vance by the tourist management. The use of autos has greatly 
expedited sightseeing in Palestine, besides adding much to the 
personal comfort of travellers. 

Hotels. — The AUenby, the Grand and the American Colony 
furnish the best accommodations, although the Notre Daine 
Hospice and the Casanova Hospice serve good food and are 
comfortable, though not well heated. The dealers who display 
their wares in the halls of hotels often ask higher prices than do 
the shops. For other Palestine hints, see page 241. 



SIDE TRIPS THROUGH JUDEA 229 



VII SIDE TRIPS THROUGH JUDEA 

Especially Bethlehem^ Hebron^ "Jericho^ the Jor- 
dan and the Dead Sea 

AS regards books on Palestine, all intending travellers 
are advised to read the books of George Adams Smith, 
Dr. R. L. Stewart and others. (See also bibliography 
page 165.) The <^ Guide to Jerusalem" by F. G. Vester & 
Company can be had at American Colony store and gives an 
elaborate description of Jerusalem and environments. It is 
well, however, not to hold one's self too closely to guide-books, 
as it is much better to see the things that are to be seen than 
what others have seen for you in books. Many people are so 
engrossed reading guide-books at the places of interest that 
they have very little time to see things. 

A TRIP TO BETHLEHEM 

Taking an auto at the Jaffa Gate, the way leads to the 
left into the Valley of Hinnom, past the Montifiore 

Institution, the Railway Station and the English Eye 
Hospital. After passing the Hill of Evil Council, we 
reach a fertile plain, probably identical with the ancient Val- 
ley of Ephraim. On the left is the large Convent of the 
Clarisses, and on the right the village of Bet Safafa. A 
little beyond to the left is the traditional Well of the Magi, 
where the Magi saw reflected in the water the star, of which 
they had temporarily lost sight. 

About three miles from Jerusalem, the way leads up a hill 
on which is built the Monastery of Mar Elyas. To the left 
is seen the Well from which the Holy Family is alleged to 
have drunk on its flight into Egypt. From this elevated point 
may be seen Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and the mountains around 
Jerusalem and beyond the Jordan. A little further on is the 
village of Bet Jala, and some distance beyond the finely 



230 PALESTINE 

located settlement of the Roman Catholic Maltese Order, 
with a Home, a Hospital and a Chapel. Here may be seen the 
so-called Field of Peas, from the legend that our Lord once 
inquired of a man what he was sowing, and on receiving the 
curt reply that he was sowing stones, the peas which he was 
scattering immediately turned into stones. It seems almost 
incredible that any one familiar with the gentle and forgiving 
spirit of Christ should attribute such vindictiveness to Him. 

Four miles from Jerusalem to the right is seen the Tomb of 
Rachel, much visited by pilgrims and reverenced by Chris- 
tians, Moslems and Jews alike. There is no evidence of the 
authenticity of this site. Here we leave the main road which 
leads to Hebron, and turn to the left, soon reaching the quaint 
and attractive city of Bethlehem, so sacred in Christian story. 

The View of Bethlehem at the early morning hour is a 
scene long to be remembered. ^* The little town of Bethle- 
hem" on the hillside, the houses clustered together, and the 
long narrow range lit up with the rays of the morning sun, are 
very pleasing to look upon, and the beauty is not dispelled by 
closer inspection. The women and children seem cleaner and 
fairer than elsewhere in Palestine. There is a restful feeling in 
this lowly birthplace of the King of Kings, which one fails to 
find in other Palestine cities, save perchance Nazareth. 

BETHLEHEM 

The name Bethlehem means literally '^ Place of Bread,*' 
probably from the fact that the region around it offers such a 
marked contrast to the adjacent Judean wilderness. In Bible 
history it is associated with the lovely romance of Ruth and 
the youthful home-life of David, and is notable as the birth- 
place of Joab, Asahel and Abishai, but it is preeminent from 
the fact that here was born the Saviour of the world. There 
is no question that Bethlehem was the birthplace of our Lord, 
and we have even some reasonable assurance of the exact site. 
Justin Martyr, born only a few years after the death of the 
Apostle John, speaks definitely of the birth occurring in a 



SIDE TRIPS THROUGH JUDEA 231 

^' certain cave close to the village of Bethlehem." A century 
later Origen states that the cave and the manger were still 
shown. Eusebius and Jerome both attest the genuineness of 
this widespread belief. Thus two hundred years before the 
Basilica of Queen Helena was erected, this tradition had full 
sway. 

The Church of the Nativity was erected in 330, and it is 
usually believed that the Church now standing is practically 
the same building. Others assert that it was remodelled about 
the year 550, in the time of Justinian. Of its venerable an- 
tiquity there is no question. 

Here in iioi Baldwin of the Crusades was crowned king, 
and a few years later Bethlehem was made an episcopal see. 
By a special concession, the Greek Church obtained possession 
of the Church in 1672, and through the offices of Napoleon III 
the Latins were made co-proprietors in 1852. 

The Church of the Nativity lacks much of the tinsel and 
tawdry trapping which makes the Church of the Holy Sepul- 
chre so offensive to the spiritual -minded traveller. When one 
sees this oldest Christian church in the world, it is not difficult 
to believe himself near to the spot where Jesus, the son of 
Joseph, was born of the Virgin Mary. The Cave, where 
Jerome spent so many happy and useful hours and where he 
did so much for the life of the Christian Church, well repays a 
visit. Jerome may have been mistaken in the location of the 
cave of the Nativity, but it is at least reassuring that a man of 
Jerome's ability believed this tradition. The repeated visits to 
both of these interesting places, serve to confirm the belief of 
the authenticity of this ancient conviction. 

The Interior of the church has an impressive simplicity, a 
most cathedral-like effect being produced by a double row of 
forty-four monolithic columns with Corinthian capitals. The 
church is lighted by windows in the upper part. Five series of 
originally handsome mosaics, contributed by the Emperor 
Comnenos, about 11 70, can only be faintly traced. 

Descending by way of the Crypt into the Chapel OF the Na- 



232 PALESTINE 

TiviTY, we come into the actual cave or grotto where it is 
believed that Christ was born. It is about forty feet long, 
twelve feet wide, and ten feet high. The present walls are of 
masonry and the pavement is of marble, with a silver star set 
in the pavement near the altar with the words, ^*Hic de Vir- 
gine Maria Jesus Christus natus est." The chapel is lighted 
by thirty-two rather gaudy looking lamps. 

In the Chapel of the Manger just opposite is the manger, 
made of marble, surmounted by a crude picture and a 
number of pendant lamps. The alleged original manger, 
found by that industrious discoverer of sacred relics, Queen 
Helena, was carried to Rome. In this chapel is also the 
Altar of the Adoration of the Magl 

It is scarcely profitable to give detailed description of various 
other portions of the Crypt, which includes a Chapel of the 
Holy Innocents, where several children concealed here were 
found and slain by Herod ; the Altar and Tomb of Eusebius ; 
the Tomb of St. Jerome, and the Chapel of St. Jerome, in 
which he is believed to have lived and written his works, in- 
cluding that imperishable monument to his industry, the Latin, 
or Vulgate, translation of the Scriptures. 

The so-called Field of the Shepherds, with the Grotto of 
the Shepherds in it, lies in a small cultivated field near Bethle- 
hem. The tradition which connects the angelic announcement 
with this spot goes back as far as the year 670, for at that time 
a church and a monastery were built here. Round about are 
still some ruins which may have belonged to this ancient 
Church of ''Gloria in Excelsis.'' At any rate, some- 
where in this general vicinity Ruth the Moabitess gleaned 
among the sheaves, and David her great-grandson dreamed 
heavenly thoughts and sang inspired songs among his sheep, 
and the angels on the Divine Natal night filled the air with holy 
rejoicing. 

Bethlehem gives the impression of being the most hopeful 
town in Palestine. It is distinctively a Christian town, there 
being only 260 Moslems out of a population pf about 6,000. 



SIDE TRIPS THROUGH JUDEA 233 

Of the Christian population, only about fifty are Protestant. 
Both the Roman and Greek Churches have schools for boys 
and girls. There is a school for girls and also a seminary for 
training teachers, which are conducted by the British Mission, 
and a German Protestant Church has a school for boys and 
one for girls. 

The people of Bethlehem look happier and more intelligent 
than those of any other Palestine cities, and they show their 
industry and progressiveness by the manufacture of artistic 
souvenirs made from shells, mother-of-pearl and olive wood. 
Some of these shops are to be seen just near the entrance 
of the Church of the Nativity, and are well worth a visit. 

THE TRIP TO HEBRON 

Again coming back to the main road near Rachel's Tomb, 
we soon pass Bet Jala, which is sometimes identified with the 
Giloh of Joshua 15 : 51. It is a town of 4,000 people, mostly 
Christian, with a Protestant school and a Church of 160 mem- 
bers. After several miles, we come to a Greek Monastery 
wdth an insane asylum, quite near the village El Khadr. A 
little farther is the ** Castle by the Pools,'' built for protec- 
tion against the Bedouins. 

Solomon's Pools are three magnificent cisterns, which 
once were united with Jerusalem by conduits, furnishing the 
Holy City with some of its water supply. The highest pool is 
381 feet long, 228 feet wide, and about 25 feet deep. The 
central pool is 423 feet long, 159 feet wide, and 38 feet deep. 
The lowest pool, the finest of them all, is 582 feet long, 147 
feet wide, and 48 feet deep. The building of these great pools 
and of the conduits connecting them with Jerusalem, is some- 
times assigned to Solomon and sometimes to Herod. 

From the Pools of Solomon the way winds around the slopes 
of the hills until we descend into the Wady el Arrub, where 
there are large springs and a cafe. Here a stop is usually 
made. These abundant springs formerly connected with the 
Pools of Solomon. 



234 PALESTINE 

Continuing the journey, we reach another spring called 
AiN ED-DiRWEY, which as early as the time of Eusebius was 
believed to be the place where Philip baptized the Eunuch. A 
Christian church stood here in ancient times. A httle further 
on the top of the hill are the ruins of Bet Sur (the Beth Zur 
of Josh. IS : 58) and on a hill to the left the Mohammedan 
village of Halhul (Josh. 15 : 58). After several miles a large 
building to the left is called Harem Ramet el-Khalil, the 
shrine of Abraham, in a poor state of preservation. A little 
further beyond are the ruins of a church, probably the one 
that Constantine built by the terebinth of Mamre. Passing the 
ruins of several villages and a Russian hospice with a high 
tower, we soon reach Hebron. 

HEBRON 

The origin of Hebron is lost in the glimmering dawn of 
antiquity. The Scriptural allusions to it are extremely numer- 
ous, including Abraham and Sarah, Joshua, Caleb, Abner, 
David, Absalom, Rehoboam, Judas Maccabaeus and others. 
The Crusaders also had a stronghold here. It is a character- 
istic Moslem city, with a filthy, bigoted and n on -progressive 
people. The population is about 19,000, of whom 1,500 are 
Jews. The German Protestant Mission has a school and 
church here, which are sustained with difficulty. The chief 
industries are the making of water-skins from the hides of goats 
and the manufacture of glass. 

The main place of interest is the Cave of Machpelah, all 
the more fascinating because it is utterly impossible to gain 
admission. Formerly, Christians rarely were able to obtain ad- 
mission, Edward VII, in 1881, when Prince of Wales, being an 
exception, but it is now accessible. The present structure was 
built by the Crusaders, and it has since been changed into a 
mosque. The cavern itself is said to be double, each part hav- 
ing a separate opening. Certainly it holds mysteries which the 
world would willingly solve. It is a quaint story, — that story 
of the cave <'and all its trees'' purchased from Ephron the 



JERICHO AND THE JORDAN 235 

Hittite. It was interesting to learn from a citizen of Hebron 
that to this very day when a purchase of land is made in 
Hebron, unless the trees are specially stipulated in the deed, 
they do not go with the property. 

The traditional Oak of Mamre is about half a mile from 
Hebron, in a garden now belonging to the RussianSo While no 
intelligent person believes that this is the identical tree under 
which Abraham entertained his visitors, the tree is certainly 
more than a thousand years old, and extremely large, being 
thirty-two feet in circumference at its base. Unfortunately it 
is now gradually dying. At any rate, under some such tree 
not far from this locality, Abraham talked with strangers and 
*' entertained angels unawares." 



JERICHO AND THE JORDAN 

The road to Jericho is along the identical way by which '< a 
certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho." This 
ride, past Gethsemane and over the Mount of Olives to Bethany, 
has a charm too subtle to be caught in the meshes of words, 
how^ever skillfully woven together. 

Passing through Bethany is not an unm.ingled pleasure, as 
it is hard to reconcile this ruined and repulsive place with our 
preconceived idea of the home of Mary and Martha. It is some 
satisfaction to know that the present so-called house of the sis- 
ters has no foundation in fact as being the original. Nor will 
it be wise to put too great credence in the supposed sites 
of Lazarus' Tomb and the house of Simon the leper. Yet it 
is certain that within a short radius of the spot where we stand 
these places did exist, and that while the little town itself has 
sadly changed. His eye often caught the great sweep of the 
Jordan Valley below, and the distant mountains beyond. 

It may just here be strongly emphasized that there should be, as 
far as possible, a complete setting aside of the roseate ideals 
about Palestine, which we have learned to cherish from our 



236 PALESTINE 

childhood. It is better to expect very little intrinsically at- 
tractive in the things themselves, save the wonderful mountain- 
top views, but to go prepared to idealize even that which is 
mean and humble, because so intimately connected with the 
life of our Lord and with Bible associations. A sanctified 
imagination and a fervent heart will illumine the '* waste 
places," and cause the Bible scenes to stand out anew with 
hallowed significance. 

The whole Way to Jericho has a striking grandeur from 
the fact that the top of the Mount of Olives is 4,000 feet 
above the Jordan Valley, so that almost continually the mag- 
nificent plain of the Jordan, together with the distant gray 
mountains of Moab, are spread out like a map at one's feet. 
While the region itself, as one proceeds, becomes increasingly 
bare and treeless, — a true picture of the Judean desert, — yet its 
bare, billowy hills and great ravines are not without their im- 
pressiveness and grandeur. 

Some distance beyond Bethany we come to the Wady 
el-Hod, or Valley of the Watering Place, the only Spring be- 
tween Bethany and the Jordan Valley. It is called the Apos- 
tles* Spring, and there can be no doubt but that our Lord and 
His disciples in passing by drank from this fountain. In the 
sixteenth century a fine building enclosed the Spring, but it 
is now neglected, and the water is not good. We would ad- 
vise total abstinence at this Spring, as well as at many other 
watering-places in Palestine. 

After several hours of riding down the steep descent through 
the barren but impressive waste, we reach the ruins of the 
Good Samaritan Inn. Formerly, this was the half-way station 
used by travellers for rest. In these days the auto has entirely 
supplanted carriages, and the trips to the Jordan which took 
two days can now be made in half a day. The desolation of 
the surroundings in the immediate neighbourhood of the Inn, 
together with the fact that robberies have not been altogether 
unknown in modern times, serves to make the setting of the 
Parable exceedingly vivid. 




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JERICHO AND THE JORDAN 237 

After a few miles more we come to the Brook Cherith, 
sometimes also identified with the Valley of Achor. The 
Brook and the traditional spot where Elijah is said to have 
been fed by ravens, lose none of their piquancy from the fact 
that at certain seasons ravens are still seen flying about. This 
may give those, who are inclined to be dogmatic in the beUef 
that it was indeed ravens and not Arabians who ministered to 
the Prophet, added conviction on the subject. All will agree, 
however, that the deep rocky ravine, which few will be inclined 
to descend, makes an ideal hiding-place. 

By a footpath to the left, the traveller can look down into the 
great abyss, and see a Greek Monastery, which serves as a 
sort of penitentiary for apostate priests. It is built against the 
very side of the cliffs over a large cavern, and seems the very 
acme of desolation and inaccessibility. There is a path to the 
left down along the sides of the steep descent, rejoining the 
road some distance below, but it takes sure-footed climbing. 

After reaching the plain and following the base of the foot- 
hills, we get a full view of the Quarantania, the precipitous 
mountain which is supposed to be the scene of our Lord's 
temptation. Along its face are openings of caves, once used 
by hermits, and just beyond may be seen the walls of a small 
Greek convent. Among the cliffs higher up are the ruins of a 
^' Chapel of the Temptation," but these are only accessible 
to practiced climbers. The weird solitude of the crest of this 
mountain attracted hermits and anchorites from a very early 
period. 

The site of Ancient Jericho is indicated by a large mound, 
about six miles from the Jordan, on the western edge of the plain. 
From the eastern base of the mound issues forth a famous 
fountain, the ** Sultan's Spring" which was doubtless used as the 
water-supply of the city, as well as for the irrigation of the plain. 
The tradition that this is Elisha's Fountain, the one whose 
waters were miraculously healed by the Prophet's intervention, is 
quite well established. It certainly has a remarkable flow of 
water which ** is sweet to this day." The mound itself is over 



238 PALESriNE 

1,200 feet in length from north to south. Although little of 
excavation has as yet been done, traces of the ruins of a mud- 
brick wall have been discovered, which so conservative an ex- 
pert in excavation as Dr. Bliss, formerly secretary of the Pales- 
tine Exploration Fund, declares to be the probable wall 
which fell before the conquering trumpets of the Captain 
Joshua. 

It is hard to realize that the remnants of the ruined wall and 
the great mounds of debris were once a flourishing city set in 
a garden, and surrounded by groves of palms. Now only a 
few scattered palms may be seen with their fronded fronts 
silhouetted against the sky. Yet in the history of Israel it was 
known as the City of Palms, and Josephus speaks of its sur- 
roundings as '*a divine region,'* the "fattest of Judea.'* The 
Greeks and Romans spread the fame of the surrounding valley 
over the world, and it was famous for its dates and balsams, 
yielding a large revenue. 

The Plain of the Jordan has little to commend it as re- 
gards any present-day beauty. The Valley from the Sea of 
Galilee to the Dead Sea is sixty-five miles long, and usually 
three or four miles broad, but at Jericho is twelve or more 
miles wide, being called by Josephus "the Great Plain.*' 
Much of this is of exuberant fertility, and with good management 
and proper Irrigation, nearly all might be cultivated to advan- 
tage, the soil being rich and the tropical heat when combined 
with water causing luxuriant vegetation. The plain towards 
the Dead Sea is less promising. 

The Jews never had large cities in the plain, although Jeri- 
cho was especially flourishing under the Romans, who knew 
how to irrigate. The heat of the valley is intense, often reach- 
ing above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in July and August. 

Modern Jericho has greatly improved in the last two 
decades. A few modern buildings and a fairly comfortable 
hotel give rather a thrifty appearance quite difl"erent from the 
former wretched hovels. Orange and fruit gardens, well irri- 
gated, add to its attractiveness. 



JERICHO AND THE JORDAN 239 

This modern Jericho was formerly known as Gilgal. This 
was the first camping-place of the Israelites after they had 
crossed the Jordan, and here the twelve stones taken from the 
river were set up as a memorial. Here was also reestablished 
the rite of circumcision, and by Divine direction the Passover 
was celebrated. The only remains at present are a large ruined 
reservoir and several mounds of artificial construction. 

THE JORDAN 

The direct distance from the source of the Jordan to its 
mouth is about 137 miles, but the course of the river is so 
tortuous that below the Sea of Tiberias it is nearly three times 
its length in a straight line. In the region around its source 
and along the lakes of Huleh and Tiberias, it is extremely 
picturesque, and the water is clear as crystal, but its rapid 
descent, especially below Tiberias, where it flows between clay 
banks, makes the stream very muddy. The total fall from 
the source to the mouth is not less than 3,000 feet. 

There is no suggestion in Scripture that the Jordan could be 
called beautiful. Of course when the valley was filled with 
gardens and palm trees, much of the present desolation 
and unsightliness were wanting. The river itself is a 
swift, turbid stream, perhaps a hundred feet wide, with low 
banks looking wild and waste. It is quite the fashion for 
travellers to bathe in the Jordan in spite of its turbid waters 
because of its sacred associations. The intense heat of the 
valley makes the cold water of the Jordan all the more grateful, 
yet care should be taken not to remain too long in the 
chilling stream. Several years ago a number of cases of illness 
among a party of prominent ministers took its rise from the 
chill caused from too long exposure in the cold Jordan water. 

Here a number of associations come thronging to the mind. 
As one stands at the ford, there returns a vision of the great 
host of Israel, and afterwards Elijah and Elisha, passing through 
dryshod. 

At this ford is supposed to have occurred the Baptism of 



240 PALESTINE 

Christ by John the Baptist. Hence, as early as the time of 
Constantine, it was regarded as a great privilege to be bap- 
tized here. Antonious in the sixth century records the fact 
that both banks at this point were paved with marble, and that 
a cross rose out of the water in the middle of the river, and 
that the linen garment which was worn at the baptism was 
religiously preserved as a winding-sheet. At the present time, 
Greek pilgrims attach great importance to baptisms and baths 
in the Jordan, especially during the week after Easter. All 
are clothed in white garments as they wade into the stream, 
and a Greek priest solemnly dips them under the water. As 
in the olden time, these garments are carefully kept for burial 
garments. 

THE DEAD SEA 

The Dead Sea is quite desolate, but not without its beauty. 
If you look across the dreary waste of waters to the purple 
Mountains of Moab, or at the rich colouring of the landscape 
you will find much to admire in this much despised portion 
of the country. 

The trip from the ford of the Jordan is void of any special 
interest, the dreariness and desolation as one proceeds being 
merely emphasized. The effect as one draws near to the sea 
gives the impression of '* a great gulf fixed.*' 

The Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. John the Baptist, with 
its two domes, is a conspicuous landmark near the Dead Sea. 
The monks have chosen this desolate spot for an habitation. 

The Dead Sea is forty- seven miles long and from three to 
nine miles wide, and its greatest depth is 1,310 feet. The sur- 
face is about 1,300 feet below the level of the Mediterranean. 
The water contains about twenty-five per cent, of solid sub- 
stances in solution, of which seven per cent, is salt. This is 
five times as much as the water of the ocean contains. The 
bitter taste is due to the large amount of chloride of magnesium 
held in solution, and the oily feeling is due to the chloride of 
calcium. No living animal can be found in the waters and 



JERICHO AND THE JORDAN 241 

the shores are barren of vegetation, but the assertion that birds 
cannot fly over its surface in safety is entirely erroneous. About 
six and one-half millions of tons of water flow into the sea 
each day, all of which is carried off by evaporation. 

The glare of the fiery judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah 
shines down through all Scripture history. But it will never 
be known exactly where they were located. That there was 
some fell punishment here is apparent, not only from the Scrip- 
ture account, but also from the physical environment, which 
forms a most dismal picture of desolation. It is not necessary 
to assume that these cities are buried beneath the Dead Sea, as 
it is more likely that they were cities of the Plain, overcome 
by the punishment of an earthquake mingled with burning 
bitumen and exploding gases. 

PRACTICAL HINTS ON PALESTINE 

Season. — The best time to visit Palestine is from March ist 
to April 15th, and in the autumn during October. The Spring 
is the time to see Palestine in its verdant and floral robe. 

Money. — -Egyptian money is current in Syria and Palestine. 
(See practical hints under Constantinople and facsimile of coins 
under Egypt.) English money is also current and American 
bills are often at a premium. All paper money except the 
English or American should be refused. 

Beggars. — It is much better not to give alms, except through 
missionaries or organized charities. The words ma fish (there 
is nothing) will usually silence the clamour for '* bakhshish." 

Purchases. — Jerusalem is a paradise for souvenir sellers and 
purchasers, and if proper bargaining is done, the prices will be 
found very cheap. Every imaginable article from a paper-cut- 
ter to a desk is made of olive-wood, handsomely polished, 
stamped with the name of Jerusalem in Hebrew characters. 
All sorts of trinkets, rosaries, breastpins, and even copies of 
famous paintings cut in bas-relief, made from beautiful shells 
and mother-of-pearl, the work of which is largely done in Beth- 
lehem, may be purchased. 



242 PALESTINE 

Very good sizable photographs and lithographs in albums, as 
well as some finely coloured photographs suitable for framing, 
can be had at the better shops. All kinds of embroideries, 
costumes, weapons, etc., as well as Hebrew parchment copies 
of portions of the Old Testament may be purchased. The best 
shops are near the Jaffa gate ; that of the American Colony 
being especially reliable and havhig the best variety of articles. 

Towns like Nazareth, Nablous, Hebron, etc., are excellent 
places to buy hand-made native articles illustrating the cus- 
toms of the people. The hand-made lace at Nazareth is es- 
pecially cheap and good. Metal articles such as rude knives, 
camel bells, etc., are good souvenirs, as well as hand-made 
slippers of native workmanship. 

Drinking Water. — The drinking water of Jerusalem has 
been greatly improved, but it is wiser^to use hot drinks or bot- 
tled water, or to depend upon the juicy Jaffa oranges. 

Being inoculated against typhoid is an excellent precaution, 
whether people remain at home or travel abroad. It is better, 
however, for people to consult their family physician on this 
point. The same is true regarding vaccination against small- 
pox ; although cases of smallpox are very rare. Taking pre- 
cautions, however, give people a very comfortable feeUng, be- 
cause of the sense of being safeguarded. 

Bargaining. — It should be understood that in Jerusalem as 
well as in the Orient, fixed prices are exceptional, except at a very 
few of the best stores. It is always well to have a price agreed 
upon in having any business dealings whatever. This is es- 
pecially true with drivers of-carriages or autos, with guides and 
in making arrangements for long distance auto trips in Pales- 
tine, otherwise people may have undue advantage taken of them. 

Dragomen. — There are a number of trained Dragomen in 
Palestine who are capable of conducting a party with skill and 
discretion. Perhaps the most prominent of these is Mr. Shukrey 
Hishmeh, of Jerusalem, who will be found a courteous Christian 
gentleman, of wide knowledge concerning the BibHcal Palestine, 
and having an unusual executive ability in managing large or 
small parties. 



EGTPT 



Statistical Information 
King is Fuad I, born March 26, 1868; crowned 
February 28, 1922, at which time Egypt was recog- 
nized AS AN INDEPENDENT StATE AND AN EGYPTIAN 

Ministry was appointed. British Representative, 
Field Marshal Viscount Allenby, appointed 1919. 
Egypt is divided into five districts, eacpi with a rul- 
ing Governor. Total area (including Libyan Des- 
ert), ABOUT 350,000 SQUARE MILES. CULTIVATED AREAS, 

along the nile, cover only 12,226 square miles. 

Estimated population (1921), 13,387,000. Prin- 
cipal TOWNS (1917), Cairo, 790,939; Alexandria, 
444,617; Port Said, 91,000; Asyut, 51,431; Aswan, 
11,293. 

There are 11,658,148 Moslems, 854,773 Orthodox 
Copts, 47,401 Protestants, and 107,687 Roman Cath- 
olics. 

Revenue (1921), £E.38,682,ooo. Expenditures, 
£E.38,682,ooo. 

In 1920, English Army of Occupation comprised 
11,605 men, but these are being withdrawn, except 
troops needed to protect Suez Canal. 

Imports (1921), £E.55,507,984. Exports, £E.36,- 
356,062; the principal being cotton, wool, cereals, 
tobacco and animal products. 

In 1920, 3,162 Maktol or Native Schools with 
202,253 pupils; 10 Secondary Schools, with 3,314 

BOYS AND 28 GIRLS. ThE MoSLEM UNIVERSITY OF El- 

AzHAR AT Cairo had in 1914, 405 professors and 9,749 

STUDENTS. In I917, ONLY I20 MALES OUT OF EACH l,000 
WERE literate; AND l8 FEMALES OUT OF EACH 1,000. 

In 1920, 6,167 STEAMERS WITH NET TONNAGE OF 
17,813,945 ENTERED. BRITISH STEAMERS, 2,240, JAPA- 
NESE, 382, Dutch, 328, French, 215, Italian, 197 and 
American, 146. The total Suez Canal receipts were 
£10,698,427. Total number of passengers, 500,147. 
There are 3,032 miles of railways. Telegraph 
lines, 8,558 MILES. In 1918 Cairo was connected 
with Jerusalem by the so-called Allenby railway, 
crossing the Suez Canal at Kantara. 

243 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

" Through Egypt in War-time/' M. S. Briggs. 
Stokes, 1919. 

'' By Nile and Tigris," E. A. Budge. Button, 1920. 

'* The Egyptian Problem/' V. Chirol. Macmillan, 
1920. 

'' Modern Sons of the Pharaohs/' S. H. Leeder. 
Doran, 1919. 

" Egypt/' R. T. Kelly. Macmillan, 1921. 

'' England in Egypt," A. M. Wilner. Longmans, '20. 

" Egypt/' K. Baedeker. Scribner, 1914. 

*' Egypt and the Egyptians," W. L. Balls. Scribner, 

1915. 

*' Where Pharaoh Dreams/' I. Asgood. Lippincott, 
1914. 

'' Manual of Egyptian Archeology," G. C. C. Mas- 
pero. Putnam, 1914. 

" The Spell of Egypt," A. Bell. Page, 1916. 

'' Reading Journey Through Egypt," Chautauqua 
Press, 1913. 

'' Cook's Handbook for Egypt/' New York, 191 1. 

'' Out of Egypt," M. E. Crouse. Badger, 1914. 

" Critic in the Orient/' G. H. Fitch. Elder, 1913. 

" By the Waters of Egypt/' N. O. Lorimer. Bren- 
tano, 1 9 14. 

'' Egypt," P. Loti. Duffield, 1914. 

" Egypt in Transition," S. J. M. Low. Macmillan, 
1914. 

'' Egyptian Days," P. S. Marden. Houghton, 1912. 

*' Wonderland of Egypt," P. R. Salmon. Stokes, '15. 

'' Banks of the Nile/' J. A. Todd. Macmillan, 1913. 

*' An Artist in Egypt," W. Tyndale. Doran, 1912. 

'' Lands and Peoples of the Bible," J. Blakie. Mac- 
millan, 1914. 

'' Modern Egypt," E. B. Cromer. Macmillan, 1916. 

" Religion of Ancient Egypt/' A. H. Sayce. Scrib- 
ner, 1913. 

" Paganism and Christianity in Egypt/' P. D. 
Scott-Moncrieflf. Putnam, 1913. 

'' Egyptian Art," G. C. C. Maspero. Appleton. 

" Popular Stories of Ancient Egypt/' G. C. C Mas- 
pero. Putnam, 191 5. 

'* Story of Cairo," S. Lane-Poole. Dutton. 

244 



I-A SURVEY OF EGYPT 

Adapted from a lecture by the late Rev. Josiah Strong, D. D. 

« Egypt contains more wonders than any other land, and is preeminent 
above all the countries in the •z£^^r/<i/."— Herodotus. 

NO civilization can be understood without a study of 
the physical conditions under which it was devel- 
oped. Latitude, temperature, humidity, the eleva- 
tion and conformation of the land, soil, proximity to the sea, 
the existence of great rivers, have all had a profound influence 
in determining the occupation, habits, characteristics, customs, 
laws, government, religion and social institutions of all peoples 
and especially of ancient peoples. We will turn first, therefore, 
to the land rather than to its inhabitants. 

THE NILE 

All great Oriental civilizations have arisen in the fertile val- 
leys of great rivers, like the Euphrates and the Tigris, the 
Indus and the Ganges, the Hoang-Ho and the Yang-tse-Kiang. 
But no other land and no other people have been so dependent 
on any stream as Egypt and the Egyptians on the Nile. 

With the Amazon, the Congo and the Mississippi, it ranks 
as one of the four longest rivers in the world, being 4,062 miles, 
the Mississippi exceeding it by only fifty miles. 

We gain some conception of its majestic volume when we re- 
member that it has no affluent for more than 1,000 miles before 
it reaches the Mediterranean ; and notwithstanding it is con- 
stantly being drained for purposes of irrigation and to supply 
the daily needs of nearly 10,000,000 people, and notwithstand- 
ing the vast volume which it empties into the sky by evapora- 

245 



246 EGTPT 

tion, its low water current pours into the Mediterranean 61,500 
cubic feet of water every second. 

But for the Nile, the Libyan and the Arabian Deserts would 
unite to blot out the land of Egypt. It is the Nile whose fer- 
tilizing floods have made these deserts to blossom as the rose. 
It gave to Egypt her soil, and has been both the cup of life 
and the bread of life to her people. But this is not all ; the 
peculiar characteristics of the great river molded the beginnings 
of the first civilization. 

The annual overflow of the Nile begins at the end of June 
and subsides completely before the end of November. It is 
due of course to the powerful rains of Equatorial Africa, but 
as there are practically no rains in Egypt this annual flood was 
very mysterious to the ancients, and legend attributed it to the 
tears of Isis periodically shed over the tomb of Osiris. 

In early ages this inundation made of Egypt one great lake. 
The necessity of controlling these waters compelled the ancient 
Egyptians to build canals, dykes and reservoirs, thus teaching 
them the science of river engineering. We have evidence of 
their ancient skill in the record that water communication be- 
tween the Mediterranean and the Red Sea was opened some 
600 years b. c. and continued several centuries. 

The annual overflow, with its fertilizing deposit, obliterated 
all landmarks and made necessary the science of surveying and 
the registration of lands. The disputes naturally arising before 
they had learned to survey their lands and to register their 
titles led to the establishment of settled laws, to courts of jus- 
tice and to the enforcement of judicial decisions. Thus, it has 
been remarked, the river was responsible for the foundation of 
social, legal, and political order. Perhaps these peculiar con- 
ditions, existing in the valley of the Nile as nowhere else in 
the world, may account for the fact that civilization first de- 
veloped in Egypt. 

Moreover, such a watercourse, running the length of the 
land, encouraged the art of boat-building and developed com- 
merce. By affording easy communication it helped to unify 




Egyptologists are not agreed as to tne aate oi ivienes. ii we 
accept the judgment of Mariette, an excellent authority, we 



land, encouraged the art ot boa 
merce. By affording easy comi] 



A SURFET OF EGTPT 247 

the various tribes along its banks and to compact them into a 
great nation. At a later period it made possible the transpor- 
tation of stone hundreds of miles for architectural purposes. 



ANTIQUITY 

Nothing so impresses the student of Egypt as the extreme 
antiquity of her civilization. 

Apart from the stone record of the monuments, the principal 
source of information concerning Egyptian history is Manetho, 
an Egyptian priest, who lived in the third century before 
Christ, and wrote a history of his country in Greek ; in which 
he introduced a list of its kings. This almost interminable 
list of names is commonly divided into families or dynasties, 
which again are subdivided into four periods. 

By familiarizing himself with this division, which may be 
done in a moment, the traveller will be able to fix approx- 
imately in his mind the date of the supreme events in Egyptian 
history, and the age of the most important monuments, so far 
as they are known. 

The first period is the Old Empire ; the second, the Middle 
Empire ; the third, the New Empire ; the fourth, the Late 
Egyptian, followed by the Greek and Roman Period. The 
Ancient Empire comprises the first ten dynasties. The Middle 
Empire includes the eleventh to the seventeenth inclusive ; the 
New Etnpire, the eighteenth to the thirty-first ; the Late 
Egyptian, the twenty-fifth to the thirtieth. The Greek and 
Roman extends from the Conquest of Alexander to the Roman 
Conquest. 

The history of Egypt as a nation begins with Menes, the first 
king of the first dynasty. The lists of Manetho, which have 
come down to us through Byzantine, Greek and Roman writers, 
are more or less confused and admit of different constructions. 
Egyptologists are not agreed as to the date of Menes. If we 
accept the judgment of Mariette, an excellent authority, we 



248 EGTPT 

will date his reign from 5004 b. c. The Museum Catalogue, 
however, makes it 3800 B. c. 

The Old Empire extended from 3800 b. c. to about 2500 
9. c, the great Pyramids of Gizeh having been built by 
Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus of the Fourth Dynasty. 

The Middle Empire had already attained some age when 
Abraham visited Egypt and Joseph was made Governor under 
one of the last of the Pharaohs of this period. 

Many references have been made to the twelfth dynasty 
(Theban), and also to the Hyksos, or Shepherd, kings (thir- 
teenth to the seventeenth dynasties). It should be remembered 
that all these belong to the Middle Empire and that the time 
was approximately from 2350 b. c. to 1600 b. c. The Hyksos 
kings oppressed Egypt for nearly five hundred years, and were 
the taskmasters of the Israelites. 

The New Empire which began with the eighteenth dynasty 
dates from about 1600 B. c. The eighteenth, nineteenth and 
twentieth dynasties constituted its most brilliant epoch. To 
the eighteenth dynasty belonged King Thothmes III who has 
been called the Alexander of Egypt. He was the greatest sol- 
dier the land of the Nile ever produced and by his military 
genius made himself the master of the world. On the walls of 
Karnak he carved the names of 628 conquered nations and 
cities. 

To the nineteenth dynasty belonged the great Seti I. and his 
greater son, Ramses II, renowned both as warrior and builder, 
the Sesostris of the Greeks. This Pharaoh is recognized as the 
great oppressor of the Israelites, while his son and successor, 
Meneptah, was probably the Pharaoh of the Exodus. This of 
course fixes the nineteenth dynasty as the time of Moses. 

Many of you have seen the obelisk in Central Park, New 
York, the inscriptions on which are those of Thothmes III and 
Ramses II. And some of you will recall the sensation caused 
in the summer of 1881 by the discovery of a sepulchral cham- 
ber in the mountain chain west of Thebes, which yielded twenty 
royal mummies, among which were those of Thothmes III and 



A SURFET OF EGTPT 249 

Ramses II. In the Museum of Gizeh at Cairo we shall see 
the faces of these very kings who flourished more than 3,000 
years ago. There also we shall find the mummy of Seti I., 
and look upon the very lips which commanded that the male 
offspring of the Hebrews be put to death ; from which doom 
his daughter, Thermuthis, the sister of Ramses the Great, 
saved the infant Moses. This, however, can only be surmised. 

The Late Egyptian Period embraced the twenty-fourth to 
the thirtieth dynasties and included the Ethiopian and Persian 
conquest to about 350 b. c. followed by the Greek and Roman 
conquests, bringing us down to 30 b. c. and continued about 
700 years, closing with the Roman rule. 

These four periods, so briefly outlined, may serve as steps or 
stages to assist our historic imagination back to the remote an- 
tiquity when Egyptian history began. 

Age is a relative thing. We Americans think the Declara- 
tion of Independence belongs to ancient history. In Rome, 
some years since, my attention was attracted by a crumbling 
wall, and I asked my guide its age : *' That,*' said he, ^* is quite 
recent — built only about 700 years ago.'* I told him that if he 
would come to New York, I would show him a few ancient 
houses — some as much as a hundred years old. If we pilgrims 
from the youngest civilization to the oldest are to gain what 
the ministers call a ^'reahzing sense " of what our eyes behold 
in Egypt, we must strengthen the wings of our imagination, 
and accustom them to longer flights, substituting millenniums 
for centuries. 

When we visit the Holy Land, the manger at Bethlehem 
will seem to us far away on the dim horizon of history, but 
that date reaches only a little more than half-way to the cradle, 
floating among the rushes of the Nile ; and the time of Moses 
does not reach half-way back to Menes the first king of Egypt. 
The Pyramids are nearly twice as old as the ten command- 
ments. And when our wearied imagination alights on old 
Cheops, it must not rest there, but take another long flight 
back into the dimmer distance of a remoter past far beyond 



250 EGYPT 

Menes if it would reach the beginning of Egyptian civiliza- 
tion. Back of Egypt's first king was a prehistoric period when 
the land was divided into petty principalities, each of which 
was ruled by its own hereditary chieftain. During this pre- 
historic period there was progress through many ages, for when 
Egypt first appeared in history 7,000 years ago, it emerged 
wath a highly developed civilization, as Minerva sprang full 
armed from the head of Jupiter. It is an astonishing fact 
that, unlike other peoples, we find in the case of the Egyptians 
no penumbra of barbarism between the darkness of savagery 
and the light of civilization. 

At the building of the Great Pyramid, nearly six thousand 
years ago, Egypt possessed a written language, a grammar, a 
literature, a philosophical religion, a school of art, a knowledge 
of mathematics and of the mechanical arts, an established hier- 
archy and a social system. 

Let us glance rapidly at some of these evidences of the ad- 
vanced character of Egyptian civilization. 

RELIGION 

Religion occupied a large place in the thought of this people, 
and the principle of life and the fact of death occupied a large 
place in their religion. This was quite natural, for Egypt itself 
was an oasis of life between two deserts of death, and the con- 
trast was strong and sharp and constant. 

The Egyptians always dedicated their temples to three gods. 
The first is the male principle, the second the female principle, 
and the third the offspring of the other two, the three deities 
being blended into one. '* Jamblichus, a writer who lived at 
the end of the third century, represents the Egyptians as be- 
lieving in one God, unique, universal, uncreated, existing from 
all eternity." He goes on to say that under this supreme deity 
there are other gods who personify his divine attributes. Thus 
Ammon is the hidden force in nature which brings all things 
into life. Imothis is the supreme intellect. Ptah is the crea- 
tive essence, and Osiris is the good and beneficent deity pre- 



A SURVET OF EGTPr 251 

siding over the abode of departed spirits. If Jamblichus is 
correct, monotheism would seem to have been at one time the 
foundation of the Egyptian rehgion, but confusion increases 
with investigation. Apparently the religious conceptions of 
the Egyptians varied in different periods, and in different parts 
of the empire during the same period, so that they may be said 
to have had a family of religions. There is considerable evi- 
dence that pantheism was the philosophical basis of all. They 
venerated the principle of life in its various manifestations, 
hence animal worship, in one city that of the sacred bull, in 
another that of the ibis, in another that of the crocodile, and 
in another that of the cat. Vegetable life also was a manifes- 
tation of deity. Hence the biting sarcasm of Juvenal's line : 

" Oh sacred nation, whose gods grow in gardens ! " 

In some periods, the educated priests certainly had very 
noble conceptions of deity, ethically far superior to those of 
the Greeks ; but the common people evidently practiced a gross 
and degrading idolatry. 

Amelia B. Edwards, an excellent authority, finds in 'Uotem- 
ism,'* which is common to all barbarous peoples, the origin of 
Egyptian animal worship in prehistoric times, before they at- 
tained civilization. In later ages, the educated priests devel- 
oped from this origin a religious conception which reached 
monotheism, though not monotheism, pure and simple, like 
that of the Hebrews. 

Our earliest knowledge of the Egyptians shows a clear con- 
ception of immortality, which profoundly influenced their art 
and their civilization. They divided man into several elements 
which would ultimately be reunited, hence the embalming of 
the body, which in the course of ages made Egypt one vast 
sepulchre. Dr. Birch, a cautious man, estimates that between 
2,000 years before Christ and 700 years after, there were 420,- 
000,000 corpses embalmed in Egypt. But since this estimate 
it has been discovered that embalming was practiced 2,000 
years earlier, so that Miss Edwards places the total number of 



252 EGTPT 

mummies for 4,700 years at 731,000,000, nearly equal to one- 
half of the present population of the* world. This estimate 
seems at first quite incredible, and yet it is based on reasonable 
data. A recent census of Egypt gives the population as nearly 
10,000,000; and we are told that under the Ptolemies it was 
twice that number. The assumption that for the 4,700 years 
referred to, the population averaged between seven and eight 
millions would give Miss Edwards' total. 

One of the elements of man which was separated from the 
body by death was the ** Ka," which is now explained to rep- 
resent the /i/e. As there must needs be some dwelling-place 
for the **Ka" until the resurrection of the body, they pro- 
duced images of the deceased, which were inhabited by the 
<*Ka,*' and, that it might feel as much at home as possible, 
the image or statue was made to bear the closest resemblance 
to its human model; hence the development of Egyptian 
sculpture. The statements just made explain a fact otherwise 
difficult to understand that the most precious funereal statuettes 
were walled into the tombs never again to be looked upon. 



CULTURE 

Egyptian Art may claim a priority over Grecian of more 
than three thousand years. That is, Egyptian art was as much 
older than Grecian as Grecian is older than American. The 
Egyptians were the teachers of the Greeks and the Italians; 
and well they might be, for the archaic work of the former was 
far superior to that of the latter, though the matured art of the 
Greeks far surpassed the best efforts of their Egyptian teachers. 

The vast antiquity of Egyptian art is seen in the fact that 
the time of the great pyramid, or nearly six thousand years ago, 
marked not its beginning but its culmination. The drawing of 
that age is far better than that of several thousand years later 
in the time of Herodotus, for instance. 

The Architecture of Egypt is chiefly characterized by its 
massiveness, which together with the dryness of the climate 



A SVRVET OF EGTPr 253 

accounts for its astonishing permanence. The temples and the 
tombs are the most notable examples of the architecture of the 
Egyptians, which, like their art, was inspired by their religion. 
The purpose of the pyramids was, for many ages, as much of 
a mystery as their origin, but it is now known that they were 
the tombs of kings, all of which belonged to the first ten 
dynasties, the period of the Ancient Empire, Cheops, the 
greatest, is composed, it is estimated, of 2,300,000 blocks of 
stone, each containing forty cubic feet, most of which were 
quarried on the opposite side of the river. The building of 
his tomb was a Hfe-work of the king. When he ascended the 
throne, he began the construction of a small pyramid, which 
he called his ^'home,'* and to which he added up to the end 
of his reign. 

When we reflect that Cleopatra and Mark Antony and Alex- 
ander the Great, and that Joseph and Jacob and Abraham once 
saw these very same pyramids and the sphinx which we are to 
see, these most tangible realities which have come down from 
the dim past help to make vividly real to us the historic per- 
sonages who once looked on them and, like us, wondered at 
their age and origin. 

The Sphinx is considered by Maspero the most ancient 
monument in Egypt, and is probably nearly or quite six thou- 
sand years old. Three times the drifting sand of the desert 
has been cleared away, reveahng an inscription which disposes 
of the mystery so long attaching to it. It is now known to be 
an image of the god, Harmaku, a solar deity, and is intended 
to typify the dead sun come back to life each morning. 

The astonishing multiplicity of Egyptian monuments can be 
appreciated only when we remember that vast numbers have 
been destroyed and great numbers have been exported. Some 
years ago, the eminent Egyptologist, M. Naville, assured me 
that for some purposes the British Museum was a better place 
to study Egyptology than Egypt itself. 

Egyptian knowledge of the exact sciences, like mathematics 
and astronomy, was much greater than their acquaintance with 



254 EGYPT 

Experimental Science, the development of which awaited 
the Baconian method. For instance, we are told that the 
learned practitioners of Memphis and Thebes prescribed '^raw 
meat, horrible mixtures of nitre, beer, milk, and blood boiled 
up and swallowed hot." The bile of certain fishes and the 
bones, fat, and skins of all kinds of unsavoury creatures, such 
as vultures, bats, lizards, and crocodiles, were among their 
choicest remedies, reminding one of Chinese practice at the 
present time. No wonder that there were many undertakers 
and embalmers. 

The pyramids afford sufficient evidence that their builders 
understood practical Geometry, and could accurately calcu- 
late the bulk and weight of materials. A treatise on plane 
trigonometry has been found. 

In Astronomy the Egyptians anticipated some great dis- 
coveries which we have considered modern. They understood 
the difference between the fixed stars and the planets, and 
knew that *'the earth forms a part of the planetary system, 
and is subject to the same law of motion." In an inscription 
older than Abraham it is written that *^ the earth navigates the 
celestial ocean in like manner with the sun and the stars." 
Again in an ancient papyrus we read that Ptah, the primordial 
god, ** moulded man, created the gods, made the sky, and 
formed the earth, revolving in spaced When we remember that 
the Ptolemaic system of astronomy was once taught in Yale 
college, this anticipation of the Coperican system is indeed an 
astonishing illustration of the wisdom of the ancients. 

Exploration of the mounds is rapidly enriching the world 
with illustrations of Egyptian Literature. 

Hieroglyphics were once supposed to be a sort of picture 
writing, like a *^ rebus," to be guessed. But the discovery of 
the Rosetta stone showed them to be the alphabet of a written 
language no more difficult to read than Hebrew, and less 
difficult than Chinese. 

Inscriptions, however numerous, do not constitute a litera- 
ture. There cannot be a literature without books in some 



A SURVET OF EGTPT 255 

form, and there cannot be a popular literature without a cheap 
material on which to write. This was afforded by papyrus, 
which the Egyptians learned to use 800 years before Abraham. 

Egyptian literature was of the most varied character. It 
comprised works on morals, religion, education, science and 
magic, travels, stories, fables, heroic poems, love-songs, essays, 
hymns, dirges and rituals. Some of the Arabian Nights 
entertainments and some of ^^sop's fables were borrowed from 
Egyptian literature ; and we are using every day English words 
which came down from the same source, such as a/c/iemy, 
camel y cocoanut and gum. 

The teaching of their moral precepts is familiar. Permit a 
few examples. ^'Converse with the ignorant as freely as with 
the scholar, for the gates of knowledge should never be 
closed." 

'^Beware of giving pain by the words of thy mouth, and 
make not thyself to be feared.'* 

'' He who speaks evil, reaps evil.*' 

''Ill-treat not thine inferior; respect the aged.'* 

"Save not thine own life at the expense of the life of 
another.'' 

The literature of the Egyptians shows that they were men of 
like passions with ourselves. Says Miss Edwards : '' We had, 
I suppose, been so accustomed to think of the ancient Egyp- 
tians as mummies that we scarcely remembered they were 
men. Those mummies, it is true, had once been alive in a 
solemn, leathery, unsympathetic way, as become a people who 
were destined to be spiced, bandaged, and ultimately con- 
signed to glass cases in modern museums. But as for an 
ancient Egyptian in love, chanting a sonnet to his mistress's 
eyebrow and accompanying himself on the lute, we should 
have blushed to think of him in connection with so trivial an 
occupation." 

The following is from a love-song sung by a girl to her lover. 
Each strophe begins with an invocation to some flower. I will 
give but one. 



256 EGTPT 

" Oh flower of marjoram ! 
Fain would I be to thee as the garden in which I have planted flowers 

and sweet-smelling shrubs ! the garden watered by pleasant runlets, 

and refreshed by the north breeze ! 
Here let us walk, oh my Beloved, hand in hand, our hearts filled 

with joy ! 
Better than food, better than drink, is it to behold thee, 
To behold thee, and to behold thee again." 

We all recognize the symptoms as genuine; it is the old 
story that is always new. 

Inasmuch as the Egyptians come into long continued con- 
tact with foreigners on their own soil, their Monuments and 
Mounds throw much light on the early history of other 
peoples, particularly that of the Assyrians and Hebrews, and 
of the Canaanitish, Grecian and Italian tribes. We have time 
for a single illustration only, one bearing on the Scriptural story 
of the bondage of Israel. 

We are told in the first chapter of Exodus that the children 
of Israel ^* built for Pharaoh treasure-cities, Pithom and 
Raamses.'* The former has been identified and excavated by 
M. Naville, working under the auspices of the Egypt Explora- 
tion Fund, the treasury of which is supplied by both Enghsh 
and American contributions. 

Again in the first chapter of Exodus we read, "and the 
Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour ; and 
they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and 
in brick.'* It was the common custom for the Egyptians to 
lay brick not in mortar but in mud, which dries immediately 
and holds tenaciously. Now it is an interesting fact that 
M. Naville found the brick of the ancient city of Pithom laid 
in mortar, not mud. 

You remember that at first straw was furnished the Israelites 
to mix with their brick, but later they were refused straw and 
bidden to gather it for themselves, though nought of their tale 
of brick was diminished. So they went up and down and 
collected *' stubble,*' we are told, to mix with the clay. The 



A SURVEY OF EGTPT 257 

word translated ''stubble'^ is the word for a kind of reed 
which grows to this day in that part of Egypt. 

After 2,000 years those very bricks are brought to the light; 
and mark what the explorer found. M. Naville tells us that 
the lower courses of the massive cellar walls of Pythom were 
laid with brick mixed with chopped straw, but higher up the 
straw disappears, and the brick were found to be made of clay 
mixed with the reeds, which still grow in the bottom of the old 
Pharaonic canal ; and still higher, after the reeds had been ex- 
hausted, the uppermost courses were found to have been laid 
with brick made of Nile mud without any binding substance 
whatever. 

What a curious and striking confirmation of the story of the 
oppression told in Holy Writ ! 

Many other testimonies from the monuments might be given 
but this must suffice. 

We may congratulate ourselves that we are to visit Egypt 
before modern enterprise has quickened to new life this land of 
the dead past. 

The Egyptian peasant, as he laboriously lifts water from the 
great river by means of the same appliances which his ancestors 
used, thousands of years ago, still sings the same refrain which 
they sang. But soon modern engineering will distribute the 
bounty of the life-giving Nile after the most approved methods 
of modern science, and the song of the water-drawer will be 
lost with his occupation. 

Modern civilization has a marvellous transforming power 
which during the twentieth century is destined to quicken the 
Orient with new life. It is our good fortune to visit it when 
the coming metamorphosis is only just begun. 



258 EGTPT 

II— LOWER EGYPT 

PRESENT GOVERNMENT 

ON February 28, 1922, the former Sultan, Achmed 
Fuad, was crowned king, with the title Fuad I. 
England, upon the advice of Lord Curzon and Lord 
AUenby, and with the reluctant consent of the British Parlia- 
ment, withdrew her protectorate and Egypt became an inde- 
pendent sovereign state, with her own king, ministry, foreign 
relationships, taxes, money, commerce and general administra- 
tion. 

England, however, preserved certain privileges as regards the 
control of the Suez Canal and of the Sudan, and the right to 
assume directorship, if the lives and property of foreigners were 
menaced. England also will have a predominant share of 
Egyptian commerce in view of her large investments. 

The International Court, formerly composed of thirteen 
European powers and the United States, will be reconstructed 
under the Egyptian Government. The rights of foreigners will 
presumably be safeguarded by the Egyptian Courts. 

The total area, including the Lybian Desert, is about 350,- 
000 square miles. The fertile Nile region, covering 12,226 
square miles, extends as far as the Wadi Haifa and varies from 
one-half mile to fourteen miles in breadth. 

Under the Ptolemies there were supposed to be 25,000,000 
inhabitants, but in 1798 Napoleon found only 2,500,000. The 
estimated population (1921) is 13,387,000, the unusual den- 
sity of about 1,400 persons to the square mile for the fertile 
Nile area. Scarcely 10 per cent, can read and write. 

In normal years the number of pleasure and health seekers 
averages upwards of 10,000 annually, who spend not less than 
;J{7,ooo,ooo. 

King Fuad I is a cultivated man of pleasing address and in- 
clined to be very considerate of foreigners. Apparently his 
purpose is to keep on the friendliest relations with Great Britain, 
realizing that the hope of Egypt lies in English cooperation. 



LOJTER EGTPr 259 

This, however, is a cause of considerable dissatisfaction on the 
part of the Nationalist Party of Egypt, who have steadily op- 
posed him. At the time of his coronation, Cairo was in quite 
a ferment, the Nationalists holding demonstrations against him 
in the streets on the ground of his pro-British attitude. They 
are now threatening to depose him, seeking to replace him 
v/ith ex-Khedive Abbas Hilmy. As the Nationalist Party 
largely has the ignorant natives with it and also has a consider- 
able portion of the more intelligent Egyptian people, conditions 
are in anything but a stabilized condition. 

The land furnishes two and sometimes three crops a season ow- 
ing to effective irrigation, the water being lifted by the shadoofs , 
worked by a man, or by the sakieh worked by oxen, and in 
some instances by modern pumps. The immense labour and 
expense of irrigation may be judged from the fact that it takes 
about four hundred tons of water to irrigate one acre once, and 
it must be thus saturated four or five times a season. 

The new dam at Assuan, holding about a billion tons of 
water, will give additional irrigation to 1,600,000 acres and 
will increase the earning power of Egypt by about $40,000,000 
annually, which is more than the entire cost of the dam. 

The climate is very dry and tonic, making a favourite winter 
and spring resort. Only an inch and a half of rain falls at 
Cairo annually, while at Luxor it rarely rains. The average 
of winter temperatures is sixty-two degrees Fahrenheit, making 
it an ideal winter abode. 

ALEXANDRIA 

We first set foot on the sacred soil of Egypt at Alexandria. 
It was intended by its founder to be the capital of the world. 
It was the meeting-place of four great civilizations : — the Ori- 
ental, the Greek, the Roman and the Hebrew. Its high cul- 
ture was Greek, but it interested itself in all other intellectual 
developments. Jews were numerous, for the policy of Alexan- 
der was to attract as many of them as possible from Jerusalem 
and Macedonia, and to give them great political privileges. 



26o EGTPT 

It became the seat of some of the most famous schools 
known in history. The Library founded by Ptolemy Lagus 
had its home in the Serapeum. Alexandria was the home of 
Ptolemy, whose system of astronomy bears his name; of Philo 
the philosopher, whose writings Paul had studied ; of Cleopatra 
VI, the daughter of Auletes and the last of the Cleopatras, — 
the one who governed Egypt twenty-two years ; of Hypatia, 
the famous lecturer before the Neo-Platonic school, whom 
Charles Kingsley has immortalized ; of Apollos and Barnabas, 
the companion of Paul in his journeys; and greatest of all, 
the home of Mark, the Author of the second Gospel. 

Here was made the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew 
Bible, — the translation used by Him of whom it was said, 
'' Out of Egypt have I called My Son.'' 

Alexandria was the pride of the great conqueror who founded 
it 332 B. c. The material from which it was constructed was 
brought from the ruins of Memphis. Travellers are accus- 
tomed to make an excursion from Alexandria to the ** Sarcoph- 
agus of Cleopatra.'' There is as much evidence that our 
mother Eve was buried in that marble coffin, as was the Greek 
beauty, who bewitched Anthony and Caesar. 

The tomb of Alexander is discovered in this region regularly 
every two or three years. There is nothing unreasonable in 
this, for Curtius X : 31 and ^lion, Varia-Historia XII : 64 
bear testimony that Ptolemy Lagus brought his body to Mem- 
phis, and a few years afterwards removed it to Alexandria. 

SCENES OF INTEREST 

In approaching Alexandria, the first object that is visible 
is the Phare. This is the direct descendant of the earliest 
lighthouse in the world, the Pharos tower, built in the reign of 
Ptolemy II, Philadelphus. It was nearly six hundred feet high, 
and its summit was illumined every night with great fires, to 
serve as a beacon-light for mariners all along the coast. This 
tower was regarded as one of the wonders of the world, and 
was evidently most substantially built, as, in spite of several 



LOJFER EGTPr 261 

destructive earthquakes, it remained standing until the foiu:- 
teenth century a. d. 

Modem Alexandria is quite as European as Egyptian in 
appearance, having 46,000 Europeans out of a total popula- 
tion of 320,000. It is the commercial port, not only of Egypt, 
but of a large part of North Africa. It has fine stone-paved 
streets, broad avenues, modern business buildings and abundant 
evidences of growing wealth. 

The Place Mehemet Ali is a long Square, handsomely 
ornamented with trees, containing the equestrian statue of this 
powerful ruler, who did so much for present-day Egypt. The 
statue is sixteen feet high, mounted on a pedestal of twenty 
feet. 

During the uprising of Arabi, this was the scene of a massacre 
of Europeans on July 11, 1882, which was the occasion of 
England's entering Egypt. 

There is little of interest to the tourist, unless we except the 
fine red monolith called Pompey's Pillar. In reality, it has 
no historical relation to Pompey, but was erected in honour of 
Diocletian. The statue on the summit has long since disap- 
peared. The shaft is a single block of red granite, eighty-nine 
feet high, which was brought from Upper Egypt. 

The Egyptian Burial-Place, discovered in 1900, is the 
largest and most elaborate Alexandrian catacomb, originally 
built for some wealthy Egyptian and his family, living about 
200 A. D. 

The Museum of Grseco-Roman Antiquities is interest- 
ing to antiquarians and has some fine specimens including a 
colossal marble Statue of Hercules ; a small portrait oi Alex- 
ander the Great (29) ; some Figures of girls noted for delicacy 
of form and fine colouring (1435 and 1436) ; a life size Figure 
of Apis in granite (370); Bas-relief oi harper and singing- 
women ; and a marble torso and marble head of Hercules 
(H and J in Room 16). 

To the south of Alexandria is Lake Mareotis, a shallow 
body of water covering what was once a hundred thousand 



262 EGTPT 

acres of fine cultivable soil. It was the result of the effort of 
the English in 1801 to destroy the fresh water supply of Alex- 
andria, during its occupation by the troops of Napoleon. The 
English are paying dearly for this act of folly, as this salt lake 
would soon overflow enormous tracts of the Nile Valley, were 
it not for the fact that over a million tons of water are 
pumped back into the Mediterranean every twenty-four 
hours. 

Ramleh is the residence suburb east of Alexandria situated 
on the Mediterranean. It is connected by a line of railway 
which enables hundreds of Alexandria's business men to reside 
here. 

The only town of any size between Alexandria and Cairo is 
Damanhur, with 47,000 inhabitants. But the journey will 
be most engrossing, on account of the constant panorama 
of village and rural life, as well as of the novel Oriental scenes 
peculiar to Egypt. 

CAIRO 

Cairo is a city of about 790,000 people, of whom 50,000 are 
Europeans. It was founded 969 a. d. by Fatimite Caliphs. 
It has been the scene of romantic and heroic exploits, in which 
such conquerors as Saladin, Harum-al-Rashid and Napoleon 
have figured. As the largest city in Africa it is a very con- 
gress of nationalities and types, and the resort of savants, an- 
tiquarians and students. It is undoubtedly the most varied 
and fascinating city on the globe. It furnishes unlimited op- 
portunities of seeing Oriental life and environment, and at the 
same time, travellers can live at unsurpassed modern hotels, 
amid luxurious Oriental surroundings that are unique and de- 
lightful. 

The fact that Cairo is a military city, with English soldiers, 
Arab lancers, Soudanese infantry and Egyptian cavalry, all in 
a picturesque variety of uniforms, adds not a little to the 
kaleidoscopic effect of the city streets. 



CAIRO 263 

SCENES OF INTEREST 

The Arabian name of Cairo is Masr-el-Kahira. The com- 
mon people call it Masr. It is situated on the east bank 
of the Nile, twelve miles above the apex of the Delta, 130 
miles by rail from Alexandria, and eighty miles west of 
Suez. It is built partly on the plain, and partly on the 
lower slope of the rocky range of Mokattam, on a spur of 
which stands the Citadel, 250 feet above the level of the 
town. The prospect from the ramparts of this fortress is one 
of great magnificence and beauty, and is therefore one of the 
first places that will be visited. Below lies the city with its 
strongly built walls and lofty towers, its gardens and squares, 
its palaces and mosques, in all the beauty of their delicately 
carved domes and minarets covered with fantastic tracery. 
Here one may see the port of Boulak, there the palace and 
gardens of Shoubra, yonder the broad river Nile with the Island 
of Roda and the Valley of the Nile dotted with groups of trees. 
On the north horizon are the Pyramids, on the west are fields 
and gardens and villas, on the east the barren cliffs of Mokat- 
tam backed by an ocean of sand. 

Within its walls Cairo occupies a site about seven miles in 
circumference. During the reign of Ismail it was extended, 
especially towards the river, so as to make a circle of eight or 
nine miles. Its improvement has kept pace with its extension. 
New streets have been cut through the more crowded districts, 
and the Ezbekiya, the principal square of the city, which 
formerly was allowed to lie waste, has been transformed into 
pubhc gardens; while buildings of considerable pretensions 
have sprung up in the neighbourhood. 

Next to the Citadel in importance are the Mosques. If, as 
is said, there are 400 of them, many must be in ruins. The 
Mosque of Tulun, founded in 379 a. d., exhibits ancient speci- 
mens of the pointed arch. The Mosque of Sultan Hakim, 
the fanatical patron of the Druses, was founded in 1003 a. d. 
The Mosques most worthy of a visit are Amru in Old Cairo, 
el Akbar, el Hassunen, and el Azhar, — the Moslem University. 



264 EGTPT 

Tickets may be obtained from the hotel porter, but these will 
not always secure admission to el Azhar. 

The principal features of a mosque are an open court with a 
fountain in the middle used by the Moslems for ablution, — a 
necessary preliminary to Moslem worship. The most sacred 
part of the building, which corresponds to the Choir of a 
Catholic Cathedral, is usually screened off from the rest of the 
building, and contains the tomb of the founder. In the centre 
of this sanctuary is the pulpit and the niche showing the direc- 
tion of Mecca. 

The most important of all the mosques of Cairo is that of 
Sultan Hassan near the Citadel. The better one becomes 
acquainted with this Mosque the more he loses his affection for 
the others. Its quaint sublimity never fails to be impressive. 
Here better than anywhere else one feels the spirit of Old Cairo. 
Coming through a dark passage into the great court, one is 
suddenly caught up by an inspiration peculiar to the place. 
The path leads over the broken tesselations of the pavement, 
up a mass of masonry browned and crumbling by time. In the 
centre of the court, supported on eight stone columns, a beau- 
tiful dome of wood broods over a cistern of water, never at 
rest, but ceaselessly throbbing with the glint of the gray walls. 
Still more attractive is the frieze of Arabic characters which try 
to remind the visitor that Sultan Hassan, though dead, is still 
saying: — **This building is dedicated to Allah the Merciful, 
the Compassionate.*' This embroidery in wood, is dark, deli- 
cate and rare. 

We have only reached the entrance of the Holy of Holies, 
which is beyond the pulpit and the Mecca wall, where lies, 
under the great height of the dome, the Tomb of the founder. 
No direct ray of sunlight ever penetrates this sacred place to 
heighten the lustre of the polished marble sarcophagus, with its 
pomegranate flowering of stone, but the mullioned windows, 
cut ten feet thick in the walls, allow indirect rays of the search- 
ing sun to stream in upon the side walls. Over each of the 
three recesses a deep blue circle of turquoise seems to catch 



I 



CAIRO 265 

the glory of the sky. Under the lower windows, and above 
the panels of the marble and alabaster, a frieze of wood reaches 
round the walls in strange Arabic letters, writhing in snake-like 
segments. The effect is mysterious. The religious spirit 
breathed here defies analysis. There is a beauty even in decay. 
One feels here the presence of a silent hidden Demolisher, and 
though he may be Love, he is also Law. 

One of the most interesting places to visit is the University 
el-Azhar, "the splendid," which is the great official Uni- 
versity of Mohammedanism. It was founded in 975, and is 
perhaps the oldest university now existing. 

The original ground plan, in the form of a rectangle, may 
still be traced. The central part of the sanctuary, with its 
cupolas, is a part of the first structure, and the characteristic 
ornamentation is well worth noting. During the successive 
centuries the various rulers of Egypt have enlarged this Mosque, 
to a great extent reproducing the old style of architecture. 

In the interior is the large Mosque-court which is enclosed 
by an arcade ornamented in Persian style. Adjacent to the 
Court is the Sanctuary with nine aisles and 140 marble col- 
umns, the entire area being 3,600 square yards. 

The various compartments are used by students from dif- 
ferent countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Nubia, and others. 
One section is for students from the holy city of Mecca, and 
another for blind students. The four great doctrinal schools 
of the Mohammedans are here represented. The attendance 
in former years was largely in excess of the present number, 
but there are still about 10,000 students and 400 teachers. Not 
only the Koran is taught, which is the text-book of the juve- 
nile students, but also the Arabic grammar, literature, philos- 
ophy, logic and jurisprudence, the course varying from three 
to six years. 

The University is richly endowed, owing to the fact that few 
Mohammedans of wealth fail to remember it in their wills, and 
hence no scholar is compelled to pay tuition. The teachers 
get small pay with liberal allowances of food, most of them 



266 EGTPT 

being engaged in copying books, or in some other outside em- 
ployment having a salary attached. 

The method of teaching is almost wholly in training the 
memory, there being nothing to develop independence of 
thought. As a consequence, there is no original work done, 
and no advancement made. 

There is a strictly democratic spirit prevailing among the 
students, the son of an official sitting side by side with the 
scantily attired son of a peasant. Over a thousand charity 
scholars live constantly at the University, about 900 loaves of 
bread being daily distributed among them. 

The Tombs of the Caliphs are elaborate mausolea con- 
structed between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries. They 
were originally richly endowed and had a large staff of attend- 
ants, but in recent years they have gradually fallen into decay. 

The most important is the Tomb Mosque of Sultan 
Barkuk, with two minarets and a fine dome. The entire 
ground plan is 240 feet square. It is an elaborate building 
with a number of corridors, prayer niches and sanctuaries, 
with rooms for the dead opening upon a large inner quad- 
rangle. It is one of the most perfect examples of pure Arabian 
architecture anywhere to be found. 

The Tomb Mosque of Kait Bey, built 1463, is also a fine 
specimen of the Caliph Tombs. It is notable for its slender 
minaret, 135 feet high, its lofty noble dome and its stalactite 
ornamentation. 

From the Tombs it is convenient to visit the Wind-mill 
Hill, which affords a fine view of the city and all the sur- 
rounding region. 

The Island of Roda. — According to tradition, this Island 
is the place where Moses was found among the bulrushes. It 
can easily be reached by a fine automobile road crossing the 
Bridge. It contains a garden belonging to the heirs of Hasan 
Pasha. 

At the south end is the old Nilometer, dating from 716 a. d., 
which is in the form of a well, sixteen feet square with an 



CAIRO 267 

octagonal column in the centre inscribed with Arabic measure- 
ments, the Arabic ell being twenty-one and one-third inches 
long. When the Nile is at its lowest ebb it covers seven ells, 
and when it rises to about fifteen ells, a public announcement 
is made that the height necessary for general irrigation has 
been reached. This event is celebrated with popular demon- 
strations of rejoicing. 

Old Cairo contains comparatively little of interest save the 
ancient Coptic Church of Abu Sergeh (St. Sergius) and the 
Mosque of Amru. 

THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM 

The following, taken from the Catalogue of 1922, makes reference to 
the more noteworthy objects of interest. We advise all who visit the 
Museum to purchase (for a trifling sum) the small Museum catalogue 
called " A Brief Description of the Principal Monuments of the Egyptian 
Museum." It will also help visitors at the Museum to know that the 
numbers attached to objects which are considered most important, are un- 
derlined in red. 

The Egyptian Museum, which formerly was at Gizeh, is 
now located not far from the Great Nile Bridge. It is a fine 
building in the Grseco-Roman style and cost about a million 
dollars. In order to gain an intelligent understanding of the 
monuments of Egypt, repeated visits to the Museum will be 
necessary. Open every day except Friday and official holi- 
days. From November i to May i, the hours are from 9 a. m. 
to 4 : 30 p. M., and the admission is five piastres. From May 
I to November i, the hours are from 9 a. m. to i p. M., and 
the admission is one piastre. 

The Museum is a monument to the untiring energy and un- 
selfishness of two magnificent men : Auguste Ferdinand Mariette 
and Easton Camfille Charles Maspero. Mariette's death came 
so soon that the dream of his life was not realized. He had 
no place for the storage of the priceless relics of antiquity he 
had discovered, and many of them had to be buried again 
under the sand where they were found. The work was vigor- 
ously resumed by M. Maspero, and his successor, M. Eugene 



268 EGTPr 

Grebaut, and the result is that a magnificent new building is 
open for Egypt's wonderful antiquities. The Director smce 
1 91 4 is P. Lacau. 

No description can give any adequate idea of their immense 
value as sources of information respecting the advanced civili- 
zation of ancient Egypt. 

On entering the Museum the visitor first comes into the 
Vestibule, and from there into the various Halls, Galleries and 
Rooms with their multiplied treasures, in approximately the 
order indicated herewith. 

Vestibule : Note Exhibits i, 2, 3, and 4. 

Portico : 6, 9. Two wooden boats used at funeral of 
Senusert II. 

Central Hall : 626. Small black granite pyramid which 
formed summit of pyramid built by Amen. 627. Paintings on 
plaster in palace of Akhenaten. 38-48. Leather tent protect- 
ing mummy of queen. 610. Limestone group representing 
Amenhotep III ; Queen Thyi and three daughters. 619 and 
620. Stone coffins of Thothmes I and daughter. 635. Re- 
mains of chapel basement of Queen Hatshepsut at Karnak. 

Great Gallery (West Wing): 44. Sarcophagus of Khufu- 
ankh, decorated like a house. 34. Sarcophagus of Dega with 
painted objects needed by dead man. 38. Huge wooden coffin 
made for Amen-mhat. Note also 149, 158, 180, 136 E, 66. 

Gallery A: 119 A. B. Two alabaster Libation tables. 

Room B: 134, 135. Granite columns amid palm-trees. 
157. Alabaster of King Menkre who built Third pyramid at 
Gizeh. 1 141. Magnificent statue of scribe with inlaid eyes. 
138. Fine statue of King Chephren, who built Second pyramid 
at Gizeh. 140. Celebrated ancient wooden statue known as the 
Scheikh-el-Beled, or *< Chief Man." 

Room D: Note numbers 223, 224, 225, 230, 231, 233, and 

239- 

Gallery A : 91 to 94. A Pharaoh striking prisoner. 

Portico E : Monuments of Middle Empire, Note 280, 
284 and 287. 



CAIRO 269 

Room G : 300. Funeral chamber from Thebes. Note also 
$01, 307. 

Gallery J: 507. Four sphinxes, attributed to first Shep- 
herd Kings. 508. Double statue of King Psusennes. 

Room I : New Empire. 400. Beautiful statue of Thoth- 
mes III, the greatest Egyptian conqueror. 407. Triumphal 
stela of Amenhotep III. 420. Large stela from Karnak with 
inscribed poem of Thothmes' victories. Note also 426, 428, 
445, 446, 452, 459, 461, 476, 477. 

Gallery J : 500. Black granite group of Sen-nefer, Gov- 
ernor of Thebes and family. Hundreds of statues from the 
temple of Mut at Karnak. 

Gallery K : Note 551, 559, 561, 562. 

Room L: 590, 591. Two sacred boats from Memphis. 

South Portico : 595. Pink granite group of Ramses II, 
with Isis and Hathor. 599. Large stela commemorating vic- 
tories of Amenhotep II, including campaign in Palestine, with 
the words, *^ Israel is crushed." 

Gallery M: 654. Black granite coffin of Khai in gala 
costume. 660 (Table of Sakkara). Note 664, 655. 

Room O: New Empire, 724. Alabaster statue of Seti I. 
728. Parts of sanctuary of Ramses II. 765. Pink granite 
group showing gods crowning Ramses III. Note 741, 768, 769. 

Room Q : 790-797. Shrines for statues of gods, and sacred 
animals. 791. Statue of the goddess Thueris, patroness of 
women. 854. Priests' prayer table, for reciting prayers for the 
dead. Note 855, 856, 857. 

Room T : Monuments of Greek and Roman period. 980, 
983. Copies of priests' degree in Canopus, describing honours 
of Ptolemy III, analogous to the Rosetta Stone with three lan- 
guages giving key to hieroglyphics. Note 694, 1003. 

Room V : Coptic remains with friezes ; funeral of stelae ; 
limestone pulpit, etc. 

Large Gallery (East Wing) : Displaying sarcophagi in 
wood and stone, 1294. Coffin of the dwarf Zed-her. 

Gallery 10: 1220. Painting on plaster of Virgin and 



2JO EGTPT 

Child. Glass Case G. Remains found in Nubia. Case E. 
Statuettes of kings and queens of Ethiopia, Case D. Phoeni- 
cian vases, etc. 

Room S: Monuments from a temple of Ethiopia. 937, 
938. Historic accounts of Ethiopian kings in struggle against 
Egypt. 941. Stela recording victories over the tribes of the 
Sudan. 930. Alabaster statue of Queen Amenartis. 

Gallery N : Statues from Karnak. 704. Lid of sarcopha- 
gus of the sacred ram. 682. Two arms of a statue of Ramses 
II from Luxor. 675. Granite head of Ramses II. 



At northern extremity of Gallery N the staircase ascends to 
the Upper Floor. At the turn of staircase is a bust of Ismail 
Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, who helped start the Museum. 



UPPER FLOOR 

The Royal Mummies. — Galleries M and K contain the 
royal mummies, many of which were discovered in 1881, and 
others as late as 1898. The story of the finding of these 
mummies is not without its humorous side. It seems that an 
Arab called Ahmed, still known at Luxor as the ^* tomb-rob- 
ber/' while digging with his companions near the ''Tombs of 
the Kings,*' struck upon a shaft which Ahmed descended, and 
saw at once that he had hit upon vast treasures, which meant 
for him untold wealth. To conceal the discovery from his 
companions, he called upon them in an excited voice to haul 
him to the surface, and there declared to them that he had seen 
an evil spirit. Ahmed, thinking to give additional colour to 
this story about a spirit, — which was supposed to manifest its 
presence by an intolerable stench, — one night threw a donkey 
down the shaft. In a few days every one in the neighbourhood 
was confident that an evil spirit dwelt at the bottom of that 



CAIRO 271 

shaft, and of course Ahmed had the monopoly of the lucrative 
antiquities. He gradually disposed of the rich treasures to for- 
eign visitors. 

This soon aroused the suspicions of the Egyptologists 
Brugsch Bey and M. de Maspero. To them Ahmed was be- 
trayed by his brother, and notwithstanding the sweltering heat 
of the summer, they made the journey to Thebes and were 
conducted to the spot. Brugsch Bey has described his esti- 
mate of the discovery in the following language : — ^* My as- 
tonishment was so overpowering that I scarcely knew whether 
I was awake or was only in a mocking dream. Resting on a 
coffin in order to recover from my intense excitement, I me- 
chanically cast my eyes over the coffin-lid, and distinctly saw 
the name of Seti I, the father of Ramses II, both belonging to 
the nineteenth dynasty • A few steps further on, in a simple 
wooden coffin, with his hands crossed on his breast, lay 
Ramses II. The farther I advanced, the greater the wealth 
displayed : thirty-six coffins, all belonging to kings or queens, 
princes or princesses." 

Galleries M and K: 3894. Aahmes I (i8th dynasty) 
drove out the Hykosos from Egypt. 3874. Amenhotep I in 
his coffin. 3869. Ramses III with linen only partly removed 
on his face. 3879. Menephtah, successor of Ramses II, er- 
roneously believed to be the Pharaoh of the Exodus. 3875. 
Seti I, father of Ramses II. Although the skin is blackened 
the impression is of a noble dignity. 3872, 3892. Enormous 
wood coffins of two queens (of i8th dynasty). 

In Gallery K coffins of priests. 3858. Coffin of Queen 
Nozemit, inlaid with enamel. 3853. Coffin with mummy of 
Queen Matkara and her baby daughter. 

Room L: Jewels and valuable articles. Case 24. Vases 
and sacred vessels in silver. Case 23. Necklaces and handles 
of vases. Ptolemaic period. 4125. Ornament in gold and 
pearls. Case 22. Sacred vases, chains, etc., in silver. Cases 
20 and 21. Jewels and ornaments for mummies. Cases 16, 
17, 18, 19. Jewels, amulets, rings and earrings. Case 15. 



272 EGTPT 

Royal jewels of Ramses III, Ramses XII, etc. Cases i and 2. 
Jewels of the Ancient Empire. Case 3. Fine falcon's head 
with eyes of obsidian. Cases 4, 5, 6, 7. Jewels from tombs of 
princesses (12th dynasty). Case 8. Crown, necklace and 
mirror of princess. Case 9. Jewels of Middle Empire. 
Case 10. Articles of gold, silver and precious stones found in 
the tomb of Queen Aahhotep. Cases 13, 14. Crown and 
jewels of Queen Thyi and Queen Tausert, Case 25. Greek 
and Roman jewels and ornaments. 

North Balcony : 3873. Mummies and ornaments of Queen 
Thyi and family. 3613, etc. Funeral furniture. Case H. 
Armchairs, small chariot, etc. Case G. 3614. Osiris as the 
symbol of the resurrection. 

Room O : Mummies and painted portraits of Greek and 
Roman period. 

Gallery N : Domestic furniture. 

Room P: Religious monuments, statues of divinities and 
sacred emblems. 

Room Q : Drawings and sculpture. 

Gallery N : Linen and cloth materials, carpets, etc. ; 
some being 3,800 years old. 

Portico R : Writing tablets and tools. 

Room S : Egyptian manuscripts on papyrus including part 
of the Book of the Dead. 

Room U : Products of art and industry, furniture, musical 
instruments, games, weapons, agricultural instruments, etc. 

Gallery T : Collection of scarabs ; basket work ; enamel 
and glass objects, etc. 

Room V : Greek and Rom-an specimens of seals, statues, 
vases, glass specimens, pottery, lamps, etc. 

Room X : Coptic objects. Vases, lamps, religious crosses, 
censers, tools, utensils, ornaments, panels, embroideries, 
etc. 

Southern Balcony : Coffin of a prince of Asyut with at- 
tendants, soldiers, etc. Part of triumphal car of Thothmes 
IV ; statues of blue enamel, ivory, glass, etc. 



CAIRO 



273 



Great Gallery : Mummies of priests ; tomb decorations. 

Gallery of Natural History : Mummies of animals ; 
flowers; seeds; corn (which, however, will not germinate). 

Room B: Pre-historic relics; drawings, flint daggers, 
vases, etc. 

Gallery A, E, J: Coffins from the eleventh dynasty to 
Roman period. 

Room C : Coffins of Old and Middle Empire. 

Room D : Funeral furniture of Old and Middle Empires. 

Room F : Funeral furniture, etc. 

Room G : Funeral objects from the New Empire to the 
Ptolemaic period. 

Rooms H and I : Objects found in Theban tombs. 

HELIOPOLIS 

The trip to Heliopolis can be made by auto over a fine road, 
or by connecting trolley in twenty-five minutes. It is a modern 
town with a palatial hotel. 

Heliopolis is the On of the Bible, where Joseph found the 
daughter of the High Priest (Gen. 41 : 45, 50 ; 46 : 20). From 
here came originally the Obelisk of Central Park, New York, 
and its mate, now on the Thames embankment. Fifteen hun- 
dred years after their erection they were taken by Cleopatra to 
Alexandria, from whence they were brought to their present lo- 
cation. 

There still remains at Heliopolis the most ancient of all exist- 
ing obelisks, and, excepting the one at Luxor erected by Queen 
Hatasu, perhaps the most beautiful of all the obelisks. It was 
built by the order of Usertesen I of the twelfth dynasty, in the 
time of Abraham, at least four thousand years ago. Under its 
shadow Plato and Jeremiah sat, and we know not how many 
times Joseph met Asenath by moonlight alone. It is now about 
the only landmark left of a great seat of learning, on the borders 
of the Land of Goshen. It was the Baalbek of the Romans, 
the On and Beth-Shemesh of the Hebrews. (See Jer. 43 : 13 
•Uhecity of theSun.") 



274 EGTPT 

The MOKATTAM Hills, giving a most remarkable view of 
Cairo, the valley of the Nile and the surrounding deserts, are 
worth a visit, as well as the Little Petrified Forest and an 
Ostrich Farm not far away. 

MEMPHIS 

The train may be taken in Cairo at the principal Railway 
Station at 8 a. m. to Bedrashen, twenty miles distant, where 
donkeys can be had. Round trips by Nile boat are also ar- 
ranged at the American Express ofifice in Cairo. Special ad- 
mission tickets to ruins should be provided. 

Memphis occupied a region now hard to define. During 
the Ptolemaic period, it was to the Greeks what Cairo is to us 
now. It was a remarkable type of Old Egypt, and vied with 
Babylon in being the most magnificent city in the world. Its re- 
ligious festivities, especially those of Apis, attracted crowds of 
pilgrims at certain seasons of the year and its commerce in- 
vited foreign merchants from every race of the ancient world. 
Its history is connected with that of Menes, the first historic 
King of Egypt, who is said to have turned the Nile from its 
course and to have built the city on new-made land (Herodotus 
II: 99, Rawlinson's Edition). Here too reigned Cheops the 
builder of the Great Pyramid. 

Memphis was the Noph of the Bible (Isa. 19 : 13 ; Jer. 2:16; 
Ezek. 30: 13, 16, also Hosea 9: 6). Noph seems to mean 
**the abode of the good'* or **the tomb of the good man,'* 
/. e.y Osiris. On the Greek coins it is called Memphis. It 
was celebrated for the worship of the god Ptah, *' the creative 
power," represented on the monuments as holding before him 
with both hands the Nilometer, the emblem of fertility. 

The pyramids belong to the era of Memphis. They are all 
on the west side of the Nile from Abu Roash, a little to the 
northwest of Cairo, to Meidum about forty miles to the south. 
In a southwest direction about twenty-five miles further are the 
pyramids of Hawara and Biahmu in the Fayoum. Lepsius has 
counted sixty-seven pyramids in this direction, but some of 
them are very small and of doubtful character. 



CAIRO 275 

Passing through the village of Mit Rahineh, after leaving 
Bedrashen, we come to the Colossal Statues of Ramses II 
which once stood at the entrance of the temple. They are 
most impressive, the one being twenty-five feet and the other 
forty -two feet in length, and are of excellent workmanship. 

The great Necropolis of Sakkara is four and one-third 
miles long and a quarter of a mile broad, and has a vast variety 
of sepulchral monuments. The following are the most inter- 
esting and important : 

The Step Pyramid goes back to King Zoser of the third 
dynasty, and hence is one of the oldest surviving monuments 
of the past. It consists of six steps or stages with a combined 
height of 196 feet. 

The Tombs of Apis form the most magnificent structure 
of ancient Memphis, and indeed of Lower Egypt. Here the 
sacred bull of the god Ptah was embalmed and interred with 
great ceremony. Gradually one gallery after another was 
added until the aggregate of 1,040 feet was reached, the gallery 
being about ten feet wide and seventeen and one-half high,' — all 
of it hewn out of the solid rock. All along the various cor- 
ridors and recesses may be seen the huge sarcophagi of the 
mummied bulls of Apis, each coffin averaging thirteen feet in 
length, seven feet in width and eleven feet in height, and 
weighing no less than sixty-five tons. 

The Mastaba of Ptahhotep dates from the fifth dynasty, 
and is a most elaborate and highly decorated tomb. It con- 
tains some mural reliefs showing Egyptian art at its best. One 
of these represents Ptahhotep at his morning toilet, another at a 
banquet, a third inspecting gifts and tribute, a fourth engaging 
in the chase, a fifth in watching industrial occupations, etc. 

The Mastaba of Ti which, like that of Ptahhotep, dates 
from the fifth dynasty, was built in honour of Ti, who was the 
royal architect. It also contains some of the best examples of 
Egyptian art, representing Ti in the midst of his poultry, in 
his ship-building yards, amid agricultural work, and a hundred 
other phases of Egyptian life. The Tomb Chamber of Ti is 



276 EGTPT 

especially rich in representations of wild and domestic animals, 
artizans, musicians, and scenes of hunting and fishing. 

The Tomb of Mereruka dates from the sixth dynasty, 
and has no less than thirty-one rooms with hundreds of scenes 
somewhat similar to those already mentioned. 

Other places of interest are the Street of Tombs ; various 
Rock Tombs ; a Brick Pyramid ninety feet high in which 
were found the jewels of the princesses Sit-Hathor and Merit, 
now in the Egyptian Museum at Cairo ; the imposing Stone 
Pyramid, 326 feet high, and the Blunted Pyramid, 321 feet 
high, in a good state of preservation. 

THE GIZEH PYRAMIDS 

For the Pyramids of Gizeh see Baedeker or Maspero's 
''Manual of Egyptian Archaeology.'' For a discussion of 
'^Pyramidology,*' see Piazzi Smyth's ''The Great Pyramid," 
1890. Also Proctor's '^ Myths and Marvels," Seiss' "Miracle 
of Stone," Taylor's '^Gospel in the Stars," Lysander Dicker- 
man's " On the Etymology and Synonyms of the word Pyramid 
in the Egyptian Language." 

The trip to the Pyramids, about six miles west of Cairo, can 
be made either by carriage or by trolley. The Mena House, a 
charming hotel, is very near. Carts or camels can be had to 
make the round of Pyramids and Sphinx. Guard against im- 
position by pedlars and donkey boys. A full half day or more 
should be given. A visit by moonlight is wonderfully impressive. 

These Pyramids are one of five groups included within the 
range of the burial-places of ancient Memphis. They are 
among the oldest and greatest monuments, attesting the dignity 
and power of the ancient Egyptian Kings. An idea of the 
enormous labour involved may be had from the statement of 
Herodotus that 100,000 men were occupied twenty years in 
building the single Cheops Pyramid. 

The Cheops Pyramid has a height of 451 feet (originally 
483 feet) and a length on each side of 750 feet, with a cubic 




THE GREAT PYRAMID, CHEOPS 
EGYPTIAN "BUTTER" 
A NILEOMETER ON THE 
ISLAND OF RODA 



A CAMEL DRAWING WATER 
A CAMEL TRAIN CROSSING THE 
NILE BRIDGE, CAIRO 
A NEAR VIEW OF CHEOPS 



CAIRO 277 

content of over 3,000,000 cubic yards, the structure covering 
an area of about thirteen acres. 

The ascent is entirely safe, although very fatiguing. Much 
of the weariness, however, can be avoided by passively letting 
the Bedouin helpers do the pulling and pushing. It is wise to 
take the ascent slowly, restraining the importunate haste of the 
Bedouins. At least twenty minutes or more should be taken 
for the climb. The view from the top is one of the most re- 
markable that the world affords, heightened by the striking 
contrast between the fertile and populous Nile Valley, including 
the dazzling city of Cairo, and the sterile and desolate wastes 
of the Sahara. It is well to bargain in advance as to the fees 
to be paid to attendants. 

The interior^ of the Pyramid (fee, ten piastres) is much less 
interesting as the long passageways (in places only four feet wide 
and three and one-half feet high) are damp, slippery and stifling. 
The entrance begins at a height of forty-eight <feet from the 
ground, and opens into a passage 420 feet long. This leads 
into the Great Hall, twenty-eight feet high and 155 feet long, 
which is a remarkable piece of masonry. Just beyond is the 
antechamber, which opens into the King's Chamber seventeen 
by thirty-four feet with a height of nineteen feet. This cham- 
ber is 139 feet above the outside plain. It is roofed by five 
enormous slabs of granite, each eighteen and one half feet long. 
Above the King's Chamber are five chambers, which can be 
reached by ladders. Nothing remains but an empty and lid- 
less sarcophagus without inscriptions. The Queen's Chamber 
and the Subterranean Chamber are inaccessible to the visitor. 

The Second Pyramid is 447 feet high and its sides are 690 
feet long. Owing to its higher location, it looks even larger 
than the Cheops Pyramid. It has two entrances into a Central 
Tomb Chamber. 

The Third Pyramid is 204 feet high, and has a single 
Subterranean Tomb Chamber. Here the coffin and mummy 
of King Menkewre (now in the British Museum) were 
found. The outer granite covering is in a better state of 



278 EGTPT 

preservation than the coverings on either of the other 
Pyramids. 

The Egyptian Sphinx, sometimes overwhelmed with drift- 
ing sand, is now visible, except the tablet between his knees. 
This tablet was photographed by Emile Brugsch in 1885, and 
copies of that photograph can doubtless be procured at the 
Egyptian Museum. 

Nothing ever made by man has been the source of so much 
confusion of thought as the Sphinx. It has been, and still is, 
confounded with the Greek Sphinx, even by such writers as 
Mr. Emerson. 

According to the myth, the Greek Sphinx was made of the 
body of a winged lioness, and the head and breast of a woman, 
and was a female monster who took up her abode on a rock in 
Greece, and propounded a riddle to every one who passed by 
her. Those who failed to solve the riddle she devoured. The 
riddle was this : — '* A being with four feet has two feet, and 
three feet, and only one voice ; but its feet vary, and when it 
has most it is weakest." CEdipus solved the riddle by saying 
the answer was man. The Sphinx then threw herself from 
the rock and perished. 

With this monster the Great Sphinx of Gizeh has no points 
in common. Two things cannot be more unlike. The Egyp- 
tian Sphinx is a male deity, composed of the body of a lion and 
the head of a man. One modern writer says ** it represents 
the union of intelligence and power." Another calls it '^the 
emblem of immobility." Still another writer says it symbolizes 
inorganic nature. A stupid fellow has a picture of a man with 
his ear at the battered lips of the Sphinx, listening ! All these 
notions are utterly foreign to the conception of the ancient 
Egyptians. To them the Sphinx was a solar deity , the image 
of the god Harmaku, the dead sun come back to life, as he 
does each morning. How do we know ? The monuments 
say so, over and over again. *' Emblem of immobility" (?) 
Just the opposite. 

It represents a divine act, calling for the mightiest power 



CAIRO 279 

and most unceasing energy, bringing a dead sun and a dead 
world back to life, and by inference, is the emblem of immor- 
tality. ** Symbol of inorganic nature!*' It is instead a 
symbol of the rising sun, majestic, benevolent, everlasting. 
This is what the Egyptians meant when they constructed their 
Sphinx, and they meant nothing else. He has no secret to 
disclose. 

In one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the United States 
stands to-day, as a soldier's monument, the image of the youth- 
devouring female monster of the Grecian myth ! Was it 
erected in ignorance of its meaning ? Or was it an intentional 
insult to all our fondest hopes ? Does it mean that death is 
like that Greek monster? What does it mean? In the 
Necropolis of a pagan people, to whom life and immortality 
had never been brought to light, that statue might not surprise 
us, but what right has it to cumber the ground in the burial- 
place of a Christian people ? One should never look at that 
monster without longing to drag it from its sacred place and 
erect in its stead, the Egyptian symbol of immortal life, of 
endless light and glory. ** Beautiful '* — that Greek Sphinx at 
Mount Auburn, near Boston ? So it is if we are ignorant of 
its m.eaning. So was the Egyptian Sphinx beautiful before the 
Persian iconoclast tried to demolish it with his battering-rams. 

Observe one caution. When you speak of the Greek 
Sphinx, say she. When you speak of the Egyptian Sphinx, 
say he. 

The Sphinx was hewn out of the solid rock and is sixty-six 
feet high. In spite of the mutilations, it still preserves much 
of its nobility and majesty. Between the paws of the Sphinx is 
an altar, and on its breast is a Memorial Stone of Thutmosis 
IV, placed there because the King, prompted by a dream, had 
caused the Sphinx to be freed from the drifting sands of the 
desert. 

The Granite Temple is 150 feet southeast of the Sphinx 
and was originally dedicated to the god Osiris. It is built of 
granite and alabaster and is an excellent example of strong and 



28o EGTPT 

majestic architecture. The interior has been excavated and 
consists of some long passageways and several large halls. In 
this temple were found nine statues of King Khephren. 

CAIRO STREETS 

Scarcely any city in the world presents such a kaleido- 
scope of life. The human variations seem almost endless. 
The scribe with reed pens and inkhorn in his hand ; Egyp- 
tian women with blue gowns and their faces below the eyes 
hidden by hideous black figured veils ; Bedouins from the 
desert with the striped '* kufieh ** wrapped around their tur- 
bans ; a pasha in state, bent on making an official visit ; a pro- 
fessional letter writer who for a couple of piastres will write a 
letter in almost any desired language ; a camel train laden with 
Oriental merchandise passing in the midst of trolley-cars, bi- 
cycles and automobiles ; a fellah woman with a donkey loaded 
with baskets of poultry or a turkey vendor driving his flock 
before him guiding their movements by a palm branch ; a 
milkman driving his cow and milking it in public for his wait- 
ing customer ; a wedding procession preceded by a group of 
dancing girls, or two half naked mountebanks engaging in pre- 
tended combats, the gaudily bedecked bride riding in a gorgeous 
palanquin borne by two camels, followed by camels carrying 
furniture and presents ; a funeral procession, with black-shawled 
professional mourners howling their mercenary grief,— it all 
seems like a veritable jumble of heterogeneous elements, on a 
magnificent scale such as only the greatest of all African cities 
could present. 

RECENT ENGLISH POSSESSION 

In spite of the many criticisms of England's policy in Egypt, 
no reasonable person can doubt but that marked improvement 
has been made. Property value has increased, bankruptcy has 
been averted, a surplus in revenue attained, taxation alleviated, 
slavery abolished, irrigation improved, education advanced, 
justice dignified, hospitals and institutions established, and 



CAIRO 281 

corruption very largely removed. The most up-to-date im- 
provements have been introduced, such as railroads, trolley- 
cars, electric lights, sanitary appliances, etc. 

The reason why more apparent impression has not been 
made on the natives is because of their appalling apathy and 
indolence. It is as though their aim in life was expressed in 
the words : 

" Death is the end of life ; ah why 

Should life all labour be, — 

Let us alone." 

The better educated ruling classes have made such progress 
that they think themselves equal to Europeans. 

Dean Stanley*s opinion that Islam may be regarded as a 
half-way station to Christianity is hardly justified by the facts. 
There seems to be a veritable mental and moral paralysis, 
which makes the work of impressing Christianity and its ac- 
companying manner of life exceedingly slow. Even the great 
Mohammedan virtue of temperance seems to be on the decline, 
as a considerable proportion of the Moslems in Alexandria and 
Cairo are in the habit of using wine and spirits. 

Still it should be said that the higher class people are re- 
sponding to modernizing and Christianizing influences. It is 
getting quite common to give the sons and even the daughters 
a good education, and English habits of dress and manner of 
life are rapidly being adopted. 

RELIGIONS 

Those who are interested in making a closer study of the re- 
ligious aspects of Egypt are advised to read '' The History of 
the American Missions in Egypt,*' by Dr. Andrew Watson, 
published by the United Presbyterian Board of Education, 
Pittsburgh, Pa. ; and also *^ Egypt and the Christian Crusade,'* 
by Dr. Charles Watson, issued by the same Board. 

The Coptic Church, which is the survival of the Church 
founded by Mark in 37 a. p., is, next to the Mohammedan, 
the strongest in Egypt. As to its origin, it is believed that the 



282 EGTPT 

reference in i Peter 5 : 13 is not to the Babylon in Chaldaea, 
but to the Babylon in Egypt, on the east side of the Nile, nearly 
opposite the Pyramids. Peter here sends greetings to his old 
friend and amanuensis Mark. The Church became degenerate 
even before the conquest by the Mohammedans, and there re- 
mains very little to show its Christian origin* Egypt at the 
time of the Moslem invasion was entirely Christian, but Mo- 
hammedanism has gradually prevailed. There are, however, 
still over 600,000 Copts, and there are twenty-three Coptic 
Churches in Cairo alone. Of course the Coptic Church has 
greatly degenerated, intoxication and superstition being all too 
common, but monogamy is the family standard, and the 
Coptic children are particularly susceptible to missionary influ- 
ence. 

Dean Stanley said that the Coptic race is *' the only living 
representative of the most venerable nation of antiquity/' 
Entire villages in Upper Egypt are occupied by Copts alone. 
The ruins of Coptic Churches, thickly dotting the Delta and 
Nile Valley, and numerous holes dug by anchorites in the edge 
of the desert for a thousand miles south of Cairo, prove that 
they have been much more numerous than they are now. By 
apostasy and marriage with Moslems they have long been and 
are constantly decreasing. 

The Coptic Church is not, or was not recently, in a state of 
peace. A reform party among the laity has demanded that the 
large income of the Church, secretly divided among ecclesi- 
astics without responsibility or public acknowledgment, should 
be managed on business principles ; that Coptic schools should 
be provided for Coptic children, and that priests should be 
better educated and better paid. The Coptic patriarch refused 
to grant these demands and was sent back to the monastery 
from which he came, and a Vicar was appointed by the 
Khedive. 

The Greek Church in Egypt is quite strong, it being esti- 
mated that there are 50,000 orthodox Greek Christians, mostly 
merchants and traders. 



CAIRO 283 

The Roman Catholic Church is making little progress, as 
the Moslems regard them as idolators, and the Copts are quite 
antagonistic. 

The Armenian Church is also represented, and various 
stations are sustained by the British and Foreign Bible So- 
ciety, and the Italian Protestant Mission. 

The Church Missionary Society (Established Church of 
England) also has a work in Cairo, begun in 1882. It has 
several schools for boys and girls in Old Cairo, and several in 
adjoining provinces. 

A work that deserves the admiration of Christendom was 
that of the late Miss Whately, the daughter of Archbishop 
Whately of Dublin. About i860 she began her school work 
in Cairo among Mohammedan boys and girls, which she con- 
tinued for thirty years with the most self-sacrificing devo- 
tion. After her death the American Mission continued her 
work. 

American Mission. — It is a most hopeful augury that the 
doors are opening wide to the Gospel that whereas the Mo- 
ravians with all their missionary enthusiasm found this field so 
barren that it was abandoned in 1783, the present American 
Mission is one of the brightest missionary stars. It is under 
the auspices of the United Presbyterians of the United States, 
and by a most commendable denominational courtesy on the 
part of American Churches, they have not entered this field. 
Hence it is the *' American Mission,'' and this country 
has no occasion to be ashamed of the work that carries its 
name. 

The year 1922 showed 195 missionaries in the field, with 
ninety native ordained ministers, and forty licensed preachers. 
There are ninety- three organized churches, many having pas- 
tors, sixty of whom are entirely self-supporting and many others 
largely so. There are altogether nearly 16,000 communicants, 
representing with family connections at least 40,000 persons in 
active relationship. There are nearly 200 Sunday-schools, 
having 17,000 teachers and scholars. Work is being carried 



284 EGTPr 

on in every one of the fourteen provinces of Egypt and there 
are missionary stations in sixty out of seventy-six districts. 
The total average attendance at Sunday morning service is 
about 26,000. 

There are 184 day schools, with about 16,000 scholars, of 
whom 3,176 are Mohammedan. 

The expenditure of the work carried on by the native Synod 
of the Nile was {898,000 in 1921, of which the Egyptians con- 
tributed ^91,000. 

The Assiut Missionary Training College has 700 students, 
having had a total of over 5,000, of whom 140 have become 
preachers and 300 teachers. Here there is also the Pressley 
Memorial Institute with 320 girls. 

At Cairo there is a Theological Seminary with about twenty 
students and 200 graduates. There is also a girls* boarding- 
school with 400 girls. 

Over 15,000 women and girls are under the direct influence 
of the missionaries. About 66,000 cases were treated in mis- 
sionary hospitals and clinics. Over 50,000 copies of the 
Scriptures, in whole or part were disposed of during the year. 

The natives during last year contributed over ^100,000 
for education and literature. Altogether they raised last year 
over ^300,000, contributing dollar for dollar to the amount 
given by the American Churches. 

The Rev. J. Alexander, D. D., and the Rev. John Griffen, 
D. D., in 1922, had completed forty-seven years of continuous 
service and Miss Anna Y. Thompson is in her fifty-first year 
of service. Mrs. Ewing, widow of Rev. Dr. Ewing, is now 
ninety years of age and still active. 

These figures and facts have been given in full, partly be- 
cause they are not available in Baedeker or other books, and 
partly to show the evidences of the power of Christianity in one 
of the most discouraging fields of work that can be found. 
The stay in Cairo will give an excellent opportunity to see 
something of missionary work at first hand. 



CAIRO 285 

PRACTICAL HINTS 



MONEY. 




Eqoals . 
5 francs. 20 centimes, 
4 shillings, 2 pence, 
I dollar. 4 cents. 



?v^^^'; 




Equals: 
2 francs, 60 centimes, 
2 shillings, 1 penny, 
52 cents. 



AvesST^ 




Equals : 
1 franc, 30 centimes, 
1 shilling, Yz penny, 
26 cents. 



iS^l^'Te.. 




<j<^^2^''>> 




Equals . 

13 centimes, 

1 penny, I farthing 

3 cents. 



EQUIVALENT OF EUROPEAN GOLD IN EGYPTIAN SILVER MONEY: 
Pound sterling equals 97 >^ piastres. 5 dollars equal 97 >^ piastres. 20 marks (gold) equal 97 piastres. 20 francs e, 



284 



on in everyone of the 
are missionary stations 



^ 



CAIRO 285 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Hotels. — Shepheard, Continental-Savoy and Semiramis are 
of the highest standard. The same is true of the Mena House 
located near the Pyramids and of the Heliopolis Hotel. The 
National is also an excellent and comfortable hotel. 

Money. — The Egyptian pound (;^E.) nominally worth 
^5.00, contains one hundred piastres, each piastre (worth five 
cents) containing ten milliemes, each worth one-half cent. A 
facsimile of Egyptian silver coins is herewith given. There 
are silver pieces of two, five, ten and twenty piastres ; nickel 
coins of one piastre and of one, two and five milliemes, and 
copper coins of one-fourth and one- half millieme. A distinction 
should be made between the ^' great piastre*' worth ten mil- 
liemes (five cents), and the ** little or half piastre,'* worth five 
milliemes. Silver money of no other country is current except 
the English. 

Passports and Vis^s. — These must be shown on entering 
and leaving Egypt and are of service in establishing identity. 

Post Office. — This is near the train center at Sharia Ataba 
Khudra and is open from 7:30 a. m. to 7:30 p. m. There are 
branch offices at Shepheard's and the Continental-Savoy. 

Railways. — The English compartment sleeping cars are of 
very high standard, with running water and toilet facilities in 
each compartment. First and second class day coaches are 
also comfortable. The railway carries fifty-five pounds of per- 
sonal baggage free. 

Carriages and Autos. — Carriages cost from ten to fifteen 
piastres an hour for two or three people. Autos of course are 
more expensive. Those furnished by the better class hotel are 
cleaner and somewhat more expensive. To the Pyramids and 
back, including several hours' stay, the rate for carriages is 
about eighty to one hundred piastres. Donkeys can be had 
(with donkey-boy) for a few piastres an hour and are very 
useful in visiting the Arab quarters. 

Tramways. — Usual fare, one piastre (five cents). They 
run every five or six minutes. The tramways to the Pyramids 



286 EGYPT 

run every thirty minutes from 7:00 a. m. to 7:00 p. m. Fare, 
six piastres. 

Guides. — As elsewhere in the Orient, guides are more es- 
pecially useful in piloting people about. They do not ordi- 
narily have accurate knowledge of places of interest. 

Customs. — The only articles usually requiring payment are 
cigars, tobacco, laces, jewelry, etc. 

Water. — The water is usually Nile water, not always filtered 
and unsafe unless boiled. 

Photographs. — These are as a rule very good and of im- 
mense variety and at reasonable prices. Special photographs 
of objects in the Museum can be purchased at Livada's store 
or at the Museum. 

Purchases. — The shops east of the Ezbekiyeh on the Muski 
and adjacent Arab shops have cheaper prices, but the fixed 
price shops are more reliable. Arabian woodwork is sold near 
the entrance to the Muski, and strangers are welcome to visit 
the workshop. It is well to avoid buying new looking Oriental 
articles, which are usually made in Europe. Most of the so- 
called *' antiques '' are spurious, and the prices for the genuine 
excessively high. 

Churches. — English: All Saints' Church on the Sharia 
Bulak and St. Mary's on the Sharia Kasr-el-Aini. Services 
usually 10:30 A. M. Services at the American Mission opposite 
Shepheard's, at 6:00 p. M. Church of Scotland (St. Andrew's) 
is on the Sharia Bulak. 

Mosques. — Visitors are admitted to most of the mosques and 
the Mameluke Tombs daily except Friday. Fee is expected 
for slippers furnished. 

Upper Egypt. — A general admission ticket to all temples 
and tombs of Upper Egypt can be purchased at the various 
tourist agencies for ^6.00, and must be shown to custodians 
everywhere. 

Travel. — The means of travel in Egypt are very satisfac- 
tory, the Nile boats as well as the English compartment sleepers 
being very modern and entirely comfortable. The more ex- 



UPPER EGYPT 287 

pensive way of travel is by the dahabiyeh, either propelled by 
steam or wind. Those using sails are slow and uncertain. A 
delightful trip of six days or longer can be made by railway to 
Luxor and thence to the First Cataract and return by Nile 
steamer. Or a six day trip can be arranged from Cairo to 
Luxor going one way by steamer and the other way by sleeper. 
Care should be used in guarding against the heat of the 
noonday sun and the sudden change of temperature at sun- 
down. Blue, or better still, gray glasses, temper the glare of 
the desert sands. In March ordinary light spring clothing is 
most serviceable, although both light summer clothing and 
comfortable wraps may be useful. 

Ill — UPPER EGYPT 



A BRIEF description is here given of a few of the im- 
portant places on the way, at some of which those who 
go to Thebes by steamer can stop, but it will be of 
interest to know something of places which are passed, even 
if there be no opportunity for detailed inspection. Although 
at first view the Egyptian temples are much alike, a little study 
will show striking and characteristic differences. 

Beni-Suef is an important town seventy-one miles from 
Cairo. The ruins belong to the period of the twelfth dynasty. 
Here may be seen the Doric Column built 1,500 years before 
the Greeks even entered Egypt. Three miles from here are the 
tombs of Beni-Hassan. Nothing in all Egypt is more interest- 
ing than the events recorded in these tombs. 

The special tomb of interest is that of Khnem-hotep. This 
King belonged to the glorious twelfth dynasty. 

The most important inscription in this tomb is on the north 
wall. It represents a group of foreigners, armed according to 
their national custom, gaily dressed and bearing instruments of 
music, who are admitted into the presence of the Governor. 
Khnem-hotep is represented on a scale three times as large as 



288 EGTPT 

the other figures, accompanied by three dogs, and receiving 
from his secretary a report of the steward of his cattle. On a 
level with his head and shoulders appears a curious procession 
of men and women whose sharply-cut features, hooked noses 
and pointed beards plainly indicate their Semitic nationality. 
This Asiatic visit seems to have been one of the signal events 
in the life of the Prince. We have here the advance guard of 
the Hyksos, who overran Egypt and ruled over it 5 1 1 years. 

It was this Hyksos dynasty which elevated Joseph to the 
highest office in the gift of their king, and later filled all 
Goshen with the descendants and retainers of his brethren. 

Another place of special interest is at Tel-el-Amarna. It 
is only a few years since these ruins were intelligently explored. 

Comparatively recent excavations have led to the discovery 
of several hundred, perhaps thousands, of tablets, in the cunei- 
form characters which narrate the intercourse of Amen-hoteps, 
III and IV, father and son, with the kings of Babylon. They 
prove an intimate acquaintance between the two countries of 
which we had never dreamed. We also find letters and dis- 
patches from the kings of Assyria, Mittanni and Cappadocia, as 
well as from the Egyptian governors of Jerusalem, Canaan, the 
'^ field of Bashan and Syria.'' They throw a flood of light on 
the life and manners of Egypt, Western Asia and Babylon in 
the fifteenth century b. c. Canaan was then governed by the 
Egyptians, and some of the most interesting are those sent by 
Ebed-Tob, the vassal king of Jerusalem. 

Assiout. — The next place of consequence is Siout or Asyut 
or Assiout, a town with 51,431 inhabitants (1921), the largest 
and best built town of Upper Egypt. This may be accounted 
for by the presence for forty years of a flourishing school for 
boys and girls, supported by the American Mission. This 
school should be encouraged by a visit. This town is the resi- 
dence of the Mudir. It is adorned by attractive gardens. 
Some of the Bazaars are little inferior to those of Cairo. The 
town boasts of an American consulate. It is also cele- 
brated for its fine pottery, especially for its bottles and pipe 



UPPER EGTPT 289 

bowls. Oriental goods are cheaper than in Cairo, Euro- 
pean goods dearer. An hour's ride through the town from 
east to west is enjoyable, and a good look into the courts of 
some of its larger houses gives evidence that there are wealthy 
merchants in Assiut who are not indifferent to comfort and 
display. 

Abydos.— The Copts call this Ebot, the hieroglyphics Abdu 
or Abtu. This is supposed to be the first spot in Egypt which 
attracted settlers. If the earliest Asiatic immigrants into Egypt 
entered the Nile Valley from the south, via Arabia and the 
straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, they could have found no more 
suitable spot for a dwelling-place than the neighbourhood of 
Abydos. Here the fertile west bank of the Nile expands and 
offers easy cultivation and safe dwelling sites, without the 
danger of too much overflow. It is claimed by some that here 
or in the adjacent city of This was the home of Menes, the 
first historic king of Egypt. This fact makes the more ancient 
monuments of this region exceedingly significant. Even in 
the time of the Old Empire, This is called the '^Holy City." 
It was believed to possess the grave of Osiris, and therefore it 
was thought that burial in its vicinity, or consecration in its 
sanctuary, would ensure a favourable judgment in the future 
world. At immense expense excavations have been made in 
the whole region round about to find the grave of Osiris, but 
neither Mariette nor his successors have met with the success 
they deserve. 

The temple or temples of Abydos, though they doubtless 
date back to the earliest times, contain Httle that is older than 
the twelfth dynasty, while almost everything belongs to the 
time of Seti I. and his son Ramses II. The noble structure 
known as the Memnonium of Seti I., whose more extended 
name (in allusion to Osiris) was ^^ Arabat of the buried,'* has 
still a peculiar attraction for travellers. The bodies of numer- 
ous princes were brought here to be buried, that they might 
participate in the blessings supposed to emanate from the sacred 
tomb of the divinity of this province. So sacred was this 



290 EGTPr 

whole region that boisterous festivities or thronged ceremonies, 
except the processions of priests, were strictly forbidden. 

The most celebrated monument connected with this temple 
of Abydos is the famous ** Tablet/' in the southern building 
on the right of the entrance, which has great historical value. 
It contains a list of the Kings of Egypt from Menes to Seti I. 
and his son Ramses II, /. e., seventy-six cartouches. All are 
perfect except two, which are only slightly injured. 

Denderah. — The great temple at Denderah was dedicated 
to the goddess Hathor, whom the Greeks identified with Aph- 
rodite. Its original foundation was ascribed to the Hor-shensu, 
the mythical predecessors of Mena. More probably the real 
founder was Khufu of the fourth dynasty, whose plan was 
adopted by Thothmes III. The inscriptions which run around 
the temples, mention among others the famous Cleopatra and 
the little Caesarion, the son of Caesar. Cleopatra's portrait on 
the outer wall does not, either in its features or form, confirm 
our conception of her great beauty. The artist had probably 
never seen her. 

THEBES 

The visit to the West Bank of the Nile requires an entire 
day, and supplementary trips should be taken if possible. A 
ferry runs between Luxor and Thebes (round-trip fare, one 
shilling). Donkeys can be obtained on the west shore, although 
it is wise to make arrangements in advance. 

The Bible name of Thebes is '' No Ammon,'* or even ^'No.'* 
(See Jer. 46 : 25 ; Ezek. 30 : 14; Nahum 3:8.) 

The Temple of Seti I. was built in honour of Ammon. 
The original building was 518 feet long, but only about a third 
of this still remains. It consists of a Colonnade, a Hypostyle 
Hall in the centre, a Hall of Ramses II to the right and a 
Chapel of Ramses I. to the left, with the Sanctuary in the 
rear of the centre. 

The Tombs of the Kings, at Beban el-Muluk, are about 
forty in number, most of which are small and unimportant. 




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H 
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I— I 
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W 

w 

H 



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UPPER EGTPr 291 

Some of the most famous Kings of Egypt were buried here. 
These tombs are largely built upon the same plan, having three 
consecutive corridors opening into the Main Hall where the 
sarcophagus was placed, some of them having additional rooms. 
The entire walls, including those of the corridors, are covered 
with scenes giving the current conceptions of the Egyptians 
regarding the future life in the Underworld. 

The Tombs are reached by a roundabout way through a 
wadi, or valley, which shows the characteristic features of the 
great Sahara. 

The scope of this volume does not permit a detailed ac- 
count of these Tombs. The most elaborate and interesting are 
the Tomb of Ramses III (Tomb No. 11), which has thirteen 
corridors and rooms and a wonderful variety of sacred repre- 
sentations; and the Tomb of Seti I. (No. 17), 330 feet in 
length, containing fourteen main rooms and corridors, and 
having the finest and most, artistic workmanship on the wall 
pictures. The Tombs of Ramses IX (No. 6), Ramses VI 
(No. 9), Thutmosis III (No. 34) and Amenophis II (No. 35) 
are also noteworthy. A full description of these Tombs may 
be found in Baedeker* s " Egypt." On Dec. i, 1922, a re- 
markable discovery was announced by Lord Carnarvon of two 
sealed ante-chambers, containing the funeral paraphernalia of 
King Tutankhamen, who reigned about 1350 b. c. These 
rooms were hidden below the Tomb of Ramses VI and con- 
tained the royal throne, furniture, robes of state, and objects of 
art, etc., — all studded with precious stones, the value being up- 
ward of ^15,000,000. 

At the foot of the mountain is the Temple of Der el-Bahri, 
the excavation of which was begun in 1893 by Dr. Naville, 
and which even now can scarcely be called completed. 

The plan on which this temple was constructed differs en- 
tirely from that of any other temple in Egypt. It is mainly 
the work of the peaceful queen Hat-sep-su of the eighteenth 
dynasty, who deserves far more credit for her magnificent 
reign than she is ever likely to receive. 



292 EGYPT 

Her temple was built in four terraces cut in the slope of a 
mountain. Flights of steps lead from one terrace to another. 
The first terrace is almost entirely destroyed. Below the second 
terrace are the ruins of a hall supported by sixteen-sided col- 
umns. The third terrace deserves special notice. On the rear 
wall of the southern half are sculptures of the expedition which 
the Queen sent to the Holy Land. We see the sailors bring- 
ing back to Thebes quantities of incense and incense-bearing 
trees. We have a picture of the five ships which compose this 
expedition. On a block, now carried away to some Museum, is 
a portrait of Palhu, the King of Punt, with boomerang and 
dagger, and his fat wife Ati, in a yellow robe, just dismounting 
from her donkey. She ought to represent a case of elephan- 
tiasis. Inscriptions remind us that the ships are loaded with 
untold quantities of precious wood, grains of the incense gum, 
living trees bearing fresh incense grains, ebony, gold and silver, 
greyhounds, coloured panther's skins and native children. The 
inscription concludes with the statement that nothing like it 
had ever been done under any Egyptian king. 

The Ramesseum was the most imposing of all the monu- 
ments of Thebes and was dedicated to Ammon by Ramses II. 
The walls contain representations of the famous battle of 
Ramses II with the Hittites at Kadesh, and portions of Pen- 
ta-our's Epic poem. Similar scenes of this campaign may be 
seen on the Pylon at Luxor, and on the Temple of Abou- 
Simbel. The same poem, in fragmentary condition, has been 
recently discovered by Professor Eisenlohr of Heidelberg, on 
the north wall of the Temple of Abydos. In its complete form 
it may be seen in the Papyrus Raifet in the Louvre, and in 
Papyrus Sallier III in the British Museum, or it may be found 
entire in good English, in the ^'Records of the Past,*' first 
edition, vol. 2, p. 65. 

After passing through three large colonnaded halls, we reach 
a smaller one with four couples of papyrus-bud columns. 
Notice two remarkable features : first, the roof richly decorated 
with astronomical representations, and second, the north part 



UPPER EGTPT 293 

of the rear wall, of which mention is made that the columns 
and the walls of this chamber are constructed of ^< hard stone," 
and that here were deposited the books of Thoth, the god 
of learning. This must be the Library which Diodorus has 
made famous. 

In the area which we enter on the south and on the left of a 
flight of steps, once stood the Statue of Ramses II, seated 
on a throne, in the usual attitude of Egyptian figures, the hands 
resting on the knees indicative of the tranquillity the king en- 
joyed after his victory at Kadesh. (See Mariette's ^' Monu- 
ments," p. 210.) The hand of the destroyer has levelled this 
stupendous monument. It is a wonder how the Egyptians 
could have transported this mass of stone, weighing not 
less than a thousand tons, but its destruction is not less as- 
tonishing. The Colossus bears no marks of a wedge or of any 
other instruments, which have reduced to fragments these 
enormous feet and legs. The torso is still entire. One ear 
that remains is three and a half feet long. The circumference 
at the elbow is seventeen and a half feet. 

The Temple of Der el-Medineh, some distance to the 
northwest, is a small but very graceful and handsome structure 
founded by Ptolemy IV. 

The Tombs of the Queens are still further to the north- 
west, and have much less interest than the Tombs of the Kings. 

The southernmost Temple of all the temple-group in Thebes 
is that of Medinet Habu which consists of two portions. The 
one is the Pavilion of Ramses III, which has the shape of the 
Syrian fortresses, which are portrayed in the Ramesseum and 
elsewhere. It was probably used by the King as temporary 
quarters for himself and his suite. 

The second part is the Main Temple of Ramses III, which 
is quite similar to the Ramesseum and is also dedicated to 
Ammon. The First Pylon and the First Court give scenes in 
connection with Ramses' Libyan campaign, with most bom- 
bastic self-praise. On the second court the triumphs won over 
the people in Asia Minor and Syria are commemorated. Here 



294 EGTPT 

are also the celebrated Scenes from the Great Festival of the 
god Min. In the Great Hypostyle Hall and adjoining rooms 
are representations of Ramses giving all manner of treasures to 
Ammon. All these scenes including the Reliefs on the outside 
walls are well preserved and full of interest. 

The Colossi, about twenty-five minutes' ride from the 
Nile, have no possible connection with any *^ Memnon ** of 
history or mythology. They were erected by Amen-hotep III, 
whose acquaintance we have made at Tel-el-Amarna. The 
*^ Vocal Memnon " then is a misnomer. There are about seven 
feet of soil deposited at their base by the Nile in the course of 
successive years. During each yearly inundation they are sur- 
rounded by water. It is the northern one that has been called 
** vocal," owing to the sound which it was believed to emit 
every morning at the rising of the sun. It was a wonder to 
the ancients. Like its mate, it was a monolith. It was sup- 
posed to have been thrown down by the earthquake of 27 b. c. 
and deprived of its vocal qualities. Pliny and Juvenal refer 
to it as a marvel, and Strabo says that he had heard the sound 
but '* could not tell whether it proceeded from the pedestal or 
from the statue itself, or even from those who stood near its 
base." 

The pedestal of the north statue, called Tama by the Arabs 
{the southern one is named Shama), is covered by Greek and 
Latin inscriptions, written by visitors who came to hear the 
sounds which it emitted. The earliest one is dated in the 
eleventh year of Nero. Other verses celebrate Hadrian's visit 
130 A. D. 

LUXOR 

Opposite ancient Thebes lies Luxor, with two excellent 
hotels, the Winter Palace and the Luxor. The town itself 
offers but slight interest to the visitor, although those who like 
to make a study of missionary work are advised to visit the 
American mission located here. 

The Luxor Temple, although large and imposing, is far 
less impressive than that at Karnak, and hence, in order to pre- 



UPPER EGTPT 295 

vent an anticlimax, it had better be visited first. It was 
founded by Amenophis III, and dedicated to the god Ammon, 
his wife Mut and their son, the moon god Khons. He built 
the whole of the south part including the heavy colonnade 
which overlooks the river. We are indebted to Ramses III 
for the remaining portion, the two obelisks, the pylon, the 
colossi and the large court which a mosque has invaded and 
concealed. 

The entire structure was 852 feet long and 180 feet wide. 
In front of the principal pylon were six colossal statues of 
Ramses II, of which only the two sitting statues forty-five 
feet high still remain in position. In front of these figures 
were two pink granite obelisks, one of which can now be seen 
in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The interior court of 
Ramses II was entirely surrounded by a double row of seventy- 
four papyrus columns. This court also has a series of red 
granite colossi averaging twenty-three feet high. Connected 
with this court by a magnificent colonnade is the court of 
Amenophis III, beyond which are a series of Halls and Chapels 
including a Sanctuary of Alexander the Great, which was par- 
tially rebuilt by him. 

KARNAK 

Karnak contains the most wonderful pile of ruins which can 
be imagined. It is impossible to unravel its buildings as we 
can those of Denderah and Esneh, and discover any unity of 
fixed design. Whatever the antiquarian may do, the ordinary 
traveller can only gaze upon a monument of unparalleled 
grandeur, whose vast proportions bewilder and overpower the 
imagination. The series of connected temples in the main 
structure are a quarter of a mile long. 

This Temple of Ammon was begun by Thutmosis I. and re- 
ceived large additions by successive rulers. The great First 
Pylon or Corner Tower is 372 feet wide and 142 high, and 
its summit gives a remarkably fine view of the entire ruins, and 
by moonlight the effect is indescribably weird and majestic. 



296 EGTPT 

Passing the Great Court, with the row of columns on either 
side, and which leads into the Side Temple of Ramses III on 
the right hand, we note on the south tower of the Second 
Pylon the Triumphal Monument of Sheshonk I. (the Shishak 
of I Kings 14: 25, 26 and 2 Chronicles 12 : 2-4, 9), cele- 
brating his victory over Rehoboam, and his removal of the 
treasures from the Temple of Jerusalem. A number of minor 
Palestine cities are also mentioned such as Shunem, Gibeon, 
Agalon and others. 

The Great Hypostyle Hall just beyond is a most inde- 
scribably stupendous structure 338 x 170 feet, its roof being sup- 
ported by 134 papyrus columns arranged in sixteen rows, each 
of the central columns being thirty-three feet in circumference 
and reaching to a height of eighty feet. The pillars and walls 
are covered with inscriptions and reliefs, retaining in some in- 
stances the original colouring. The names of five different 
Ramses are inscribed on one column (the first in the sixth 
row). On the north and south walls Seti I. and Ramses II 
commemorate their victories in Palestine. 

Beyond the Third Pylon is the Obelisk of Thutmosis I., 
seventy-six feet high, the only one remaining of four, and 
beyond the Fourth Pylon is one of the Obelisks of Queen 
Makere (Hat-sep-su), ninety-seven and one-half feet high, ex- 
ceeded only by the Lateran Obelisk at Rome which is 105 feet 
in height. This obelisk and its fallen companion were erected, 
according to the inscription, in seven months. 

Still continuing, we pass a Fifth Pylon and a second colon- 
nade, a Sixth Pylon and a Sanctuary built in later years by 
Philip Arrhidaeus over an earlier chamber. Still beyond is the 
earliest Temple dating from the Middle Empire, and still 
further, the Great Festal Temple of Thutmosis III. 

Returning to the Central Court and leading off to the south 
at right angles is another series of Pylons and Temples leading 
into the Eastern Avenue of Sphinxes which form the entrance 
into the Temple of Mut surrounded by the Sacred Lake. 
The Western Avenue of Sphinxes also leads into the smaller 







< 
> 









I PE4 

lO 



(E4 
O 



UPPER EGTPT 297 

Temple of Klons. To the north is a third Avenue of Sphinxes, 
leading past the Granite Portal of Philadelphus into the Tem- 
ple of Mont. 

Edfu is a district capital with a population of 14,260. Its 
Temple of Horus is one of the notable structures of the 
Ptolemaic Egyptian period, and is in a state of nearly perfect 
preservation, thanks to the centuries of accumulated sands from 
which it was recently exhumed by Mariette. The temple is 
quite similar to that of Denderah, but its pylons are much 
finer. It is 450 feet long and 120 feet wide. The Pylon is 250 
feet long and 115 feet high, having a staircase of 242 steps 
leading to the top, from which there is an extended view. Its 
First Court is paved with immense stones and it has thirty-two 
columns with very elaborate capitals, the columns themselves 
being adorned with picture carvings representing the king 
making offerings to the god Horus and other deities. In the 
Hypostyle Hall just adjoining there are eighteen elaborately 
ornamented columns. In one corner is a little chamber once 
used as a Library, the walls engraved with a catalogue of 
books. Still beyond is the Small Hypostyle Hall and an inner 
sanctuary. All the picture carvings of Egyptian gods have 
been partially defaced by the early Coptic Christians. 

Assuan is a town of 13,000 people with several fine Euro- 
pean hotels, as Assuan is a health resort. The Granite Quar- 
ries from which the Pharaohs obtained the great stones for 
their obelisks and temples is only a short distance from the 
town. In one quarry is an obelisk only partly separated from 
its rocky bed. 

The beautiful island of Elephantine, verdant with luxuriant 
palm-trees, is well worth a visit, and can be reached by a small 
boat. On the island are two Nubian villages. On the west 
bank of the Nile are the interesting Rock Tombs, dating be- 
tween the sixth and twelfth dynasties. 

Philae is about five miles above Assuan, and is often spoken 
of as '* Philae, the magnificent, the pearl of Egypt/' It is a 
small island about 1,500 feet long and 480 feet wide, and 



298 EGTPT 

nearly its whole surface is covered with the remains of mag- 
nificent temples. The Temple of Isis was the chief sanctuary 
and was erected by Ptolemy Philadelphus and Eurgetes I. It 
is not built on a large scale, but much of the work is most 
elaborate and artistic. The thirty-two columns of the west 
colonnade are sixteen feet high, each capital being of a different 
design. The Hypostyle Hall is exquisite in its finely coloured 
and designed columns, the walls and pillars being covered with 
sculptures and the ceiling with astronomical representations. 
There are other interesting remains including Hadrian's Gate- 
way, the Temple of Hathor, now nearly submerged, and the 
Kiosk dating from the early Christian centuries and never com- 
pleted. 

The great Assaun dam is one of the masterpieces of modern 
engineering. It is a mile and a quarter long, with a maximum 
width of I GO feet and a maximum height of 130 feet. Since 
the building of the dam it is impossible to make the trip down 
the cataract by boat, which formerly proved such an exciting 
experience. The island of Philse is largely submerged since the 
building of the dam, but there will perhaps be sufficient re- 
compense in the increased material prosperity of Egypt. 



IT ALT 



Statistical Information 

King is Vittorio Emanuele III, born Nov. it, 1869. 
Ascended throne July 29, 1900. Married Elena, 
daughter of nicholas, formerly king of montene- 
GRO. Legislation by Senate, which in 1920 con- 
sisted OF 368 senators and nine members of royal 

FAMILY AND THE LoWER HoUSE OF 535 DEPUTIES. ThE 

King has power to dissolve Lower House at any 
time, but new elections must be held within four 

MONTHS. 

Area, 110,632 square miles. Population (1921), 
38,835,184. Principal cities: Naples, 697,917; Milan, 
663,059; Rome, 590,960. 

Revenue (1922), 17,602,957,000 lirp. Expenditures, 
20,454,809,000 lire. Imports (1920), £634,485,437. 
Exports, £312,151,668. 

Active army in 1921, 250,000 men. Personnel of 
Navy less than 40,000 men. Mercantile Marine, 

603 ships of 1,075,200 NET TONS. In I919, 98,189 VES- 
sels of 24,093,639 net tons entered italian ports. 

There are 9,741 miles of railway, about four- 
fifths BELONGING TO THE StATE. In StATE RAILWAYS 
RECEIPTS WERE 1,996,255,287 LIRE AND EXPENDITURE OF 
2,856,006,784. 

Lower grade instruction alone compulsory. 
Lower schools have 3,167,245 pupils and secondary 
524,779. Private schools have 148,081. In the 
Province of Calabria 60% of males and 78% of fe- 
males ARE STILL ILLITERATE. ThERE ARE ALSO COMMER- 
cial, agricultural and engineering schools and 
three universities. 

Of population 32,983,000 are Catholics, 123,253 
ARE Protestants and 874,532 profess no religion. 
There are 123,161 priests and monks, 358 Protestant 

ministers and 54 RABBIS. 



299 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

" My Italian Year/' J. Collins. Scribner, 1919. 

" Wanderings in Italy/' G. Faure. Houghton, 1919. 

'' Italy and the World War/' T. N. Page. Scribner. 

'' Short History of Rome/' G. Ferrero. Putnam, '19. 

'' Immortal Italy,'' E. A. Moore. Appleton, 1922. 

'' Color of Rome/' O. M. Potter. Dodd, 1921. 

'' American Academy in Rome/' Oxford, 1922. 

'' Baedeker's Italy," Scribner. 

'' Roads from Rome," A. C Allenson. Macmillan, '13. 

'' Rome of To-day and Yesterday/' J. Dennie. Put- 
nam, 1915. 

'' Rome/' W. T. Field. Page, 1913. 

*' Pompeii as an Art City/' E. Mayer. Stokes, 1921. 

" Familiar Letters of Flittings Around Naples/' 
K. P. Lynch. Harriman, 1912. 

'' Ancient Rome and Modern America/^ G. Ferrero. 
Putnam, 1914. 

" Fountains of Papal Rome/' Mrs. F. D. MacVeagh. 
Scribner, 1915. 

'' A Month in Rome/' A. Maurel. Putnam, 1916. 

" New Footprints in Old Places/' P. Stiles. Elder, 
1917. 

" Rambles Around Rome/' G. E. Troutbeck. Pott, 
1914. 

** Story of Rome," N. Young. Button. 

'' Storied Italy/' M. Eraser. Dodd, 1915. 

" Rome/' H. T. Inman. Scribner. 

'" Stories of Greece and Rome/' H. Johnstone. Long- 
mans, 1914. 

'' Book of Italy/' R. Piccoli. Stokes, 1916. 

'' United Italy/' F. M. Underwood. Doran, 1912. 

'' Italian Cities/' E. H. Blashfield. Scribner, 1912, 

'' Naples and Southern Italy/' E. Hutton. Mac- 
millan, 1915. 

'' Old Gardens of Italy," E. A. F. Le Blond. Lane, 
1912. 

'^How TO See Italy By Rail/' B. D. W. Sladen. 
Pott, 1912. 

*' Italian Travel Sketches," J. Sully. Scribner, '12. 

" An Artist in Italy/' W. Tyndale. Doran, 1916. 

" Italy To-day/' B. King. Scribner, 19 13. 

300 



I — NAPLES 



" O Italia^ Italia beloved. 
Land of beauty y of sunshine and songj*^ 



1 



■^HE ancient city was called Parthenope after the 
fabled siren who, after luring innumerable sailors to 
their destruction, was unable to cozen Ulysses, and 
in her rage and despair she, together with her sisters, sought 
death in the sea. Its name was afterwards changed to Naples, 
though originally called Neapolis, or New City. 

In the Roman period, it was the favourite residence of the 
nobles. The Emperor Augustus frequently resided here. 
Lucullus possessed gardens on the hill of Posilipo, Virgil here 
composed some of his choicest poetry, and in 476 a. d. Romu- 
lus Augustulus, the last emperor of the Western Empire, died 
here. It was devastated by the northern barbarians in 536 and 
543. It early repudiated the rule of the Eastern Empire at 
Constantinople, and for centuries had complete independence 
and its own Doge. It was made the capital of the Kingdom by 
Charles I. of Anjou (1265-1285), and some sixty-five years ago 
was joined to the Kingdom of Italy. 

DESCRIPTION 

It has a population of 697,917 (in 1921), and is the largest 
city in Italy. It occupies one of the most beautiful sites in the 
world, its Bay having been an object of praise from ancient 
times. There are few noteworthy buildings even on ** The 
Toledo," the central street and main avenue for traffic, which 
intersects the city from north to south in a straight line, ex- 
tending to the sea. 

Because of its incomparable Museum, however, together with 
the beauty of its environs, the proximity to Pompeii and Her- 

301 



302 ITALT 

culaneuixi, and the island of Capri (with its charming Blue 
Grotto), etc., Naples furnishes rare attractions to the tourist. 
The bright Bay encircled by the picturesque city makes a 
striking contrast with the dark smoky mountain of Vesuvius, 
which is set in the immediate background. 

The city is divided into several parts by the heights of Sant' 
Elmo, Capodimonte and other ridges. The oldest portion of 
the city, now largely devoted to business, lies southeast of 
Capodimonte, and has been largely rebuilt since the terrible 
cholera of 1884. The western quarter, along the coast and 
extending to the slopes of the hills, is more modern, and con- 
tains most of the hotels. A new section of the city is now 
being built upon the heights. 

It will help to identify places to know that the squares are 
called Largo (plu. larghi), the principal streets are strada, and 
the cross streets Vico (plu. vichi). 

Persons, whose time is limited, can afford to disregard most 
of the sights within the town, and they are advised to largely 
limit themselves to the places of interest herein indicated. 

THE PEOPLE 

Naples is described as ^'a paradise inhabited by devils.*' It 
is indeed true that it seems the centre of gravity for all the evil 
and dirt in Italy, and that there is scarce a spot in the civilized 
world where there are so many malefactors. To very sensitive 
people there seems little attraction in the crowded streets among 
its ragged barterers and beggars, its smells and noises and 
vulgarities, for the Neapolitans seem absolutely indifferent to 
publicity, even in the things that we are accustomed to regard 
as belonging to the decencies of life. 

Yet for the study of an anomalous and picturesque human 
nature, Naples gives unusual opportunities. While the people 
are adepts at cheating, deceiving, thieving and unblushing 
pauperism, they are at the same time good-natured, kind-hearted, 
generous, and as simple and unconventional and happy as chil- 
dren. Given to idleness and thriftlessness, so that few of the 



NAPLES 303 

young men of the upper classes take up a profession, and the 
very poor being huddled together in meagre and squalid quarters, 
they yet show a cheerful and happy-go-lucky disposition that 
nothing can disturb. While as a rule they avoid hard steady 
work, they have many devices for turning an honest or a dis- 
honest penny. Everywhere may be seen boys and men who 
are Maccaroni eaters by profession, and women who dance the 
Tarantella for money. 

There is evidence of woful ignorance and superstition among 
the people. IlUteracy is the rule, but there is no lack of de- 
votion to religion, there being a saint for every phase and 
emergency of life. The people regard the Madonna as their 
special friend, and her pictures and images are innumerable. 

They are a cheerful and buoyant race, bearing privations 
easily, oft content with a single meal a day, very fond of music 
of the street-organ sort, and exceedingly social and talkative 
among themselves. They are given to gambling in its various 
forms, the lottery being a special curse, as many deny them- 
selves the necessaries of life in order to indulge their mania 
for it. 

After the epidemic of cholera in 1884, about twenty millions 
of dollars were devoted to the cleansing of the city, and the 
work is still being prosecuted, although the entire transforma- 
tion will cost five times that sum. A great boon to the people 
was the bringing of pure water from the Serena, a mountain 
stream sixty miles away. 

PLACES OF INTEREST 
There are few striking objects of interest in Naples outside 
of the famous Museum, but the visitor will be well repaid by 
an inspection of the Zoological Station, and especially its 
Aquarium. The Station was established for the study of 
animal and vegetable life in the Mediterranean Sea. It has all 
the equipment for thorough and elaborate investigation of 
marine biology, taking the first rank in size and importance in 
its special department. The various governments in Europe, 



304 IT ALT 

and the United States as well, pay annual contributions for the 
privilege of having their respective naturalists avail themselves 
of the valuable opportunities offered. 

The Aquarium is the most interesting establishment for 
marine biology in the world, especially as the waters of the 
Mediterranean are particularly prolific in manifold forms of 
marine life. The process of the feeding of an octopus is an 
unusual sight, and the multiple varieties of rare species of 
cuttlefish, electric rays (which may be touched by visitors who 
wish to be *^ shocked '') as well as the great variety of beauti- 
fully coloured fish,— all make a most fascinating study. 

The Aquarium was founded by Dr. Dohrn about 1872. 
The German Government has been especially active in its pro- 
motion, having contributed 1^25,000 for the building fund be- 
sides paying a large annual subsidy. Elaborate publications 
and specimens are sent to the various laboratories of the world. 
The fee for admission is nominal. 

The Villa Nazionale, in which the Aquarium is 
situated, is a most attractive Park and pleasure resort, facing 
the sea. It contains small temples in honour of Virgil and 
Tasso, and a number of statues, including that of Thalberg 
the pianist. Here daily concerts are given, and during after- 
noons and evenings it is crowded with a gay and picturesque 
throng. 

Churches. — Naples contains about 300 Churches, only a 
few of which have any interest to tourists. Yet they contain 
numerous monuments and statues, and are rich in historical 
and political associations. As a rule, they are open forenoons 
and evenings. 

It is worth while to refer to a few of them : 

The S. Maria del Carmine, whose handsome red and gray 
tower is a conspicuous feature. 

The S. Giacomo degli Spagnueli, which contains Andrea 
del Sarto's Jloly Family , and a Descent from the Cross by 
Lama. 

The S. Chiara, founded by Robert the Wise in 1310, con- 



NAPLES 2PS 

taining the most beautiful frescoes of Giotto in Naples. The 
monument of the founder, forty-two feet in height, is magnifi- 
cent. 

The S. Domenico Maggiore, which is one of the finest in 
Naples, containing twenty-seven chapels and altars. It is in 
the Gothic style, and was erected by Charles II in 1289. 

There is an English Church in the Strada S. Pasquale, 
whose site was presented to the English residents by Gari- 
baldi, when he was dictator of Naples in i860. The Sun- 
day Services are 11 a. m. and 3:15 p. m. There are also a 
Presbyterian Church of Scotland, a Baptist Church, and a 
** Floating Bethel. '' 

The University at Naples situated on the Strada deir 
Universita, was founded in 1224 and is one of the oldest in 
Europe. It contains five faculties, about 100 professors, and 
5,788 students (1902). It has a fine library, and valuable 
collections of natural history and mineralogy. 

The Heights of Sant' Elmo can be reached by the 
electric tramway or by one of the cable tramways. The view 
of Naples and its environment is magnificent. Here is the 
Castel Sant' Elmo (875 feet above sea-level) built by Robert 
the Wise in 1343, which in the days before powerful artillery 
came into vogue, was deemed impregnable. It is now used 
as a military prison. 

The building formerly used as the Carthusian Monastery 
of San Martino is near by, and is now used as a Museum. 
The hours of admission are from ten to four, and the cost is 
one franc. Here may be seen the sumptuous Barge used by 
Charles III, the State Coach in which Victor Emanuel and 
Garibaldi entered Naples in i860, and a number of paintings. 

Important Streets. — The Toledo, officially known as the 
Via Roma (gia Toledo), is the most important thoroughfare in 
Naples, and is ahve with traffic and shoppers. It divides the 
city in a straight line from north to south, and with its inter- 
secting streets is the centre of mercantile activity. It has some 
beautiful stores, although it should be remembered that the 



^ 



3o6 ITALT 

prices are higher than in the more modest shops on the side 
streets. The Gallery of Humbert I. is an Arcade of fine shops. 

The Strada Santa Lucia is a characteristic street among 
the lower classes of Naples, and here life may be seen in all its 
primitive disregard of conventionalities. 

The Piazza del Mercato on which the fish market is 
located presents a busy and interesting scene, especially on 
Mondays and Fridays. The Strada nuova di Posilipo, 
which begins at the seashore and winds around the southern 
slope of the hill has some of the finest villas in Naples and 
gives a succession of attractive panoramic views. 

THE MUSEUM 

The Museo Nazionale is one of the finest in Europe, and is 
the greatest attraction to tourists which Naples possesses. 

The Museum has been fitted up since 1790 for the reception 
of the royal collection of antiquities and pictures. It includes 
the collections belonging to the crown, the Farnese collec- 
tion from Rome, those of the palaces of Portici and Capodi- 
monte, and especially the priceless treasures excavated at 
Pompeii and Herculaneum, which are unrivalled, particularly 
in its bronzes and objects of art. 

A brief outline may be useful in a preparatory way, and may 
prove sufficient for those who have a very limited time at their 
disposal, and wish to have pointed out only the objects of con- 
spicuous interest and artistic value. 

It should be noted that the Museum was entirely reconstructed 
in the Spring of 1905, and that all guide-books and catalogues 
published prior to that time are entirely misleading in their 
descriptions of the Museum. 

The Museum contains more than one hundred and twenty 
thousand specimens, the very great majority of which are Ro- 
man antiquities. 

The Museum is open from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. on week-days 
from November ist to April 30th, and from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m. 
from May ist to October 31st. Entrance two lire. Sundays 
free, 10 a. m. to i p. m. 




GALLERY OF HUMBERT I 



NAPLES 307 

Among the statues in the Centre Hall of the Vestibule is 
that of Eumachia (6232), the Priestess who at her own ex- 
pense erected the Exchange in the city of Pompeii. In the 
Left Aisle of the Vestibule is the colossal statue of Urania 
(5960) and the Genius of the Roman People (5975). In the 
Right Aisle (in the centre) is the statue of Marcus No7iius 
Balhus (6104) and the fine Equestrian Statue of his son (6105) 
with probably the finest marble horse of antiquity. Here also 
is Flora (5978), gracefully draped. 

Ground Floor, East Wing. — In the First Portico is the 
Archaic Statue of Pallas (6007), one of the finest extant. 
Also Orestes and Plectra (6006), Artemis (6008) and a 
Young Boxer (119,917) all worthy of special mention. In 
the five Inner Halls reached from the First Corridor are 
some excellent works, largely from Locris and Pompeii. 

The Hall of the Mosaics (mosaics were not introduced 
into Rome until 180 b. c.) contains some good specimens, 
notably Strength Conquered by Love (in the centre), containing 
the figure of a woman and a chained lion ; a Comic Scene 
(9985) ; a Kitten Killing a Chicken (9993) ; some Fishes 
(9997) and Achilles Attacking Agamemnon (10006). 

Returning to the Corridor the passage to the right leads to 
the Second Portico of marble sculptures. In the Great 
Hall is the well known Venus Victrix (6017); Psyche 
(6019); the Persuasion of Helen (6682) and the Faun and 
Infant Bacchus (6022). 

The Rear Room contains the celebrated Farnese Bull 
restored under the direction of Michael Angelo. It represents 
the two sons of Antiope avenging their mother's wrongs by 
binding the cruel Dirce to the horns of a bull, Antiope in the 
meantime pleading for mercy for her enemy. It is from a 
single block of marble, and is one of the finest pieces of ancient 
statuary. 

In the Opposite Hall is the Farnese Hercules, represented 
as holding the golden apples of the Hesperides, after the 
successful accomplishment of the eleventh task demanded of 



3o8 IT ALT 

him by King Eurystheus. Here also may be found the Torso 
of Venus (6035) a Greek work, the Nereid (6026), seated on a 
sea-monster, and the Gaeta Vase (6673) a first-rate work. 

In the two small adjoining rooms is the Venus Callipygus 
(6020), the Fames e Venus (6286), and the Crouching Venus 
(6293) ^^^^^^ Cupid just behind her. 

The Third Portico and its five Inner Rooms are filled with 
marble sculptures, bas-reliefs and fragments to which detailed 
mention cannot here be given. 

In the Basement and on its upper landing there is an 
Egyptian Collection of stelae, sarcophagi, mummies, tablets, 
vases, etc., which will have limited interest for those who have 
been in Egypt. 

Ground Floor, West Wing. — Here are the Busts of 
Greeks and Romans such as ^schinus (6018) regarded by 
Canova as one of the finest busts of antiquity ; Demosthenes 
(6153) ; Homer (in the centre on column) the best of the busts 
of the blind poet, and Socrates (6415) with the Greek motto 
inscribed, *^Not only now, but always, it has been my habit 
to follow only the dictates of my judgment. Mature reflection 
I find after strict examination to be the best of all things.'* 

The Busts are continued in the Second Portico, including 
Cicero (6231); Fompey the Great (6028); Brutus {602^)] 
Marcus Aurelius (6092) \ Antinous (6030) ; Caracalla (6033), 
etc. These busts are also continued in the Inner Rooms, I., II 
and III. 

In the centre of Room IV may be seen the Great Mosaic 
(10020) representing the battle of Issus between Greeks and 
Persians. There are twenty-six combatants and sixteen horses. 
The chief figure is Alexander, bare-headed and on horseback, 
transfixing an enemy with a lance. On the right is Darius 
flying in his chariot. In this room is also the notable Bust of 
Ccesar (6038). 

In Room VII (Hall of Apollo) is a figure of Apollo (5962), 
drawing a bow. 

In Room VIII there is a collection of objects taken from the 



NAPLES 309 

Temple of Isis at Pompeii including in the centre the Statue 
of Isis (976). 

The Collection of Bronzes. — These are from Pompeii 
and Herculaneum, the latter being in a better condition, and 
hence are black or very dark green, while those from Pompeii 
have the light green oxodized discolorations. 

In Room I. are the Pompeian Masterpieces including a 
Dancing Faun (5002); a Drunken Faun (111,495); Silenus 
crowned with ivy {^00 1) ', Narcissus (5003); d.i\(i dM Angler 

(4994)- 

Room II contains Apollo with the Plectrum (5630), Bacchus 
and Ampelus (4995) ; Victory (4997) and Apollo (5613). 

Room III has the Herculaneum Bronzes, Mercury in Repose 
(5625), the most celebrated bronze of antiquity; ihQ Sleeping 
Faun (5624); Five Actresses (5604-9), and Dionysus (5618) 
usually called Plato. 

In Room IV may be seen the Drunken Faun (5628) ; Two 
Gazelles (4886, 4888) and the Discoboli (5626-7), of great 
merit. 

Room V. contains the so-called Bust of Seneca (5616) and 
the Last Portico the statue of Mammius Maximus (5591). 

The Entresol, East. — Here may be found upwards of one 
thousand paintings taken from the walls of Pompeii, Hercu- 
laneum and Stabise. 

Taking the large rooms first, we have in Room I. Thelephus 
fed by a Hind (9008) ; Achilles detected by Ulysses (9 no); 
Briseis a?id Achilles (9105); Iphigenia (91 12) and Theseus 
in Crete (9049). In the centre are Theseus Slaying the 
Centaur (9560) ; Five Daughters of Niobe (9562) and Three 
Actors with Mask (9563). 

In Room II may be found Iphigenia as Priestess of Diana 
(111,439) and Medea with Sheathed Sword (8976). 

Room III contains the Three Graces (9231, 9236); the 
Three Farts of Ancient World, Eicrope, Asia and Africa 
(8898) and Medea Meditating the Murder of her two Children 
(^977). 



3IO ITALT 

The principal paintings in Room IV are Cimon Saved from 
Starvatio7i (9278) and Ariadne and Bacchus (9278). 

Room V. has the Thirteen Baccha?ites Figures (9295-9307) ; 
some figures of Ce?itaurs (9133-6) ; the Sale of Loves (9180) ; 
the Sporting Genii (9178, etc.); the Wedding of Zephyr us 
(9202) ; two Nereids (8859, 8870) and in the passage to the 
last room, the celebrated Rope Dancers (91 18-91 21). 

In the Entresol (East) there is also a Reserved Cabinet 
containing objects not suitable for general exhibition, to which 
admission can be obtained only by special permission. 

Upper Floor. — Here are found the Small Bronzes, 
numbering some 13,000 specimens, from Pompeii and Hercu- 
laneum. These form a remarkable feature of the Museum. 

They include household goods for common use in bronze 
such as tables, candlesticks, lamps, and surgical instruments, 
including the speculum, pincers, scissors, lancets, etc. Also 
there are tools for workmen such as pick-axes, spades, anvils, 
hammers, and planes. There are also scales, safes, compasses, 
keys, locks, hinges, stoves, spoons, saucepans, colanders, 
funnels, milk jugs, etc. 

There are also a great variety of general objects such as 
furniture, musical and mathematical instruments, writing ma- 
terials, jewelry, dice, fishing tackle, and the '^ Lares and 
Penates" or household gods. 

Third Floor. — Here are the glass, silver, gold and enameled 
objects, toilet articles, cups and vases, armour, and the remark- 
able collection of one thousand cameos and five hundred 
intaglios. Most valuable is the Library of the Papyri, 
containing 1,800 manuscripts, consisting of treatises on nature, 
music, rhetoric, life and religion, as well as a letter to a child 
written by Epicurus. The 20,000 engravings in 227 portfolios, 
some of which are the copies of the Pompeian frescoes m their 
originally brilliant colours, are well worth study, as well as the 
2,000 inscriptions in various languages on stone and bronze 
tablets, consisting of epitaphs and laudatory inscriptions. 

The Collection of Coins consists of 80, goo specimens, 



NAPLES 311 

including rare Arabic, Cuphic, Indian and Persian coins. The 
Collection of Vases will have a rare attraction for art lovers, 
the finest being placed by themselves in short columns. The 
Collection of Precious Relics is a remarkable exhibition of 
antique gems as well as of gold and silver objects. Among these 
is the remarkable Tazza Farnese, of priceless value, engraved on 
the outside with a magnificent Head of Medusa and on the in- 
side with eight figures in relief. The Collection of Ancient 
Chrystal including a cut-glass vase, also deserves mention. 

The Picture Gallery contains some notable paintings, 
mostly of the Italian Schools. Among these works are Titian's 
Danae painted at Rome when Titian was sixty-eight years old ; 
Titian's Portrait of Pope Paul III; Titian's Philip II, 
painted when he was seventy- five years old ; the Holy 
Family by S. del Piombo j a Madonna by Perugino ; 
Raphael's Holy Family ; a copy of Raphael's Portrait of Leo 
X, by Andrea del Sarto ; and a Portrait of Cardinal Passerini 
reputed to be Raphael's ; Correggio's Betrothal of St. Catherine 
with the Infant Christ ; Correggio's Madonna called Gypsy 
from the headgear; Titian's Pope Paul III ; the Scourging of 
Christ by Moretto and Mantegna's St, Euphemia in a ruined 
condition. There are also a number of the inferior works of 
Van Dyke, Rembrandt and others. 

Taking the Museum as a whole, it is certainly the most 
precious repository of ancient art. When we remember that 
these things were largely taken from two small Roman towns, 
we arrive at an idea of the variety and magnitude of the works 
of art to be found in the city of Rome, as well as other cities 
of the old Roman empire. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Hotels. — Parker's, Excelsior, Santa Lucia, Bertoline, and 
Grand. Rates sixty lire and upward. 

Taxicabs. — These have fixed rates. There are special rates 
to suburban points, such as Sorrento, Amalfi, etc. 

Tramways. — Fare, fifteen to thirty-five centimes (three to 
seven cents) according to distance. 

Money. — The French system is in vogue, the lira, equal 



312 ITALY 

to twenty cents, being the standard. A lira contains one 
hundred centesimi, each having the value of one-fifth of our 
cent. A piece of five centesimi, called the soldo, is much in 
vogue and is very useful for small purchases or tips. The price 
is often given in soldi, five soldi being the same as five cents. 
Italian money has greatly depreciated since the war. 

Purchases. — Shops rarely have fixed prices. Coral beads, 
cameo pins, tortoise-shell and lava ornaments, copies of ancient 
bronzes, vases, etc., are characteristic souvenirs. 

In coral and tortoise-shell goods, care should be taken to avoid 
receiving celluloid imitations. Most of the so-called Japanese 
or attractive pink coral beads which are offered on the streets 
and brought on the ships, are merely dyed white coral. 

Churches. — *< Christ Church *' (English) is in the Strada 
San Pasquale, the site having been presented by Garibaldi in 
i860. Services, 11 a. m. and 3:15 p. m. Presbyterian 
Church is in the Vico Cappella Vecchia. Services, 11 a. m., 
and fortnightly at 8 p. m. Wednesdays, 3 p. m. Wesleyan 
Methodist Church is in the Vico Sant' Anna di Palazzo. 
Service, 11 a. m. Baptist Church, 175 Strada Fona. Services, 
II A. M. and 8 p. m. 



II — POMPEII 

POMPEII was never more than a third-class city of 30,- 
000 inhabitants. It is not strange, therefore, that the 
first impression of the visitor is one of disappointment. 
It appears as a town destroyed by fire, with straight streets, 
narrow alleys and the windowless houses of concrete and brick, 
utterly without ornament and looking like ruined cowsheds. 
Nevertheless, the city is worthy of careful study, especially in 
connection with the rich remains gathered in the Museum at 
Naples. 

The city was in part destroyed by an earthquake in 63 a. d., 
and after its partial rebuilding, was completely destroyed 



POMPEII 3^3 

August 24, 79 A. D. The first premonitory symptom was a 
dense shower of ashes, a stratum of which covered the town to 
a depth of three feet, allowing the inhabitants time to escape. 
Many of them, however, returned, some doubtless to recover 
their valuables, others paralyzed with fear. The number that 
perished is estimated at 2,000. The fall of ashes was followed 
by fragments of red-hot pumice stone, to a depth of seven or 
eight feet. The present superincumbent mass is about twenty 
feet in thickness. 

It is a mistake to imagine that the town has never been dis- 
turbed from the time of the disaster until the recent excava- 
tions. There is abundant evidence that much digging was 
done by the survivors to recover lost valuables, as well as by 
treasure seekers, during a number of centuries later. The 
ruins were even searched for marbles and materials for building 
purposes. During the Middle Ages, however, the very exist- 
ence of the town seemed to be forgotten, and it was not till 
1592, when a water conduit was run through the very middle 
of it, that it once more came into general recognition. Yet no 
excavating seemed to have been done at this time. 

In 1748, the finding of some bronze utensils by a peasant 
attracted the attention of Charles III, and he ordered some ex- 
cavations to be made. The theatre, the amphitheatre and 
other portions of the town were soon laid bare. The discovery 
caused much excitement and wonder, and the resurrected city 
soon had a place in literature through Schiller and Shelley, as 
well as through more modern writers like Bulwer and Dickens. 
These excavations, however, seemed to be more for the purpose 
of securing valuables and art objects, than for any permanent 
acquisition to archaeology and art. 

Beginning with i860, the Italian government has prosecuted 
systematic uncovering of the buried city, an annual appropria- 
tion of ;^i 2,000 having been made. This, including about 
^8,000 in annual gate receipts, has made it possible to employ 
an average force of about eighty men. The city is scarcely 
more than half excavated, and it will take forty years more, at 



SH ITALT 

the present rate of progress, to finish the work, and it will in- 
volve a further expense of nearly a million dollars. 

About six hundred bodies have been found, and at the Porta 
Marina a number of bodies in plaster may be seen. The 
Pompeian sentinel, who is commemorated in Bulwer*s **Last 
Days of Pompeii," appears to have been a myth. 

The entire circumference of the city walls is less than two 
miles. The buildings as a rule are small and the streets, 
though well paved, are narrow, the widest being only twenty- 
four feet and the narrower ones fourteen feet. There are 
several streets lined with shops, but few business signs were 
found, although not a few political announcements. The 
artistic element prevails throughout the city, even the public 
fountains, of which there are a number, being decorated with 
art objects. 

The houses are rather flimsily built of concrete, and wood 
and other inflammable materials were used for the upper stories. 
Although only one house remains with three stories, it is quite 
evident that nearly all the houses were at least two or three 
stories high, the upper part having been destroyed by the fiery 
shower of sparks and stones. 

The houses are largely after the same general architectural 
plan. Passing through the entrance (ostium), on the side of 
which the porter had his little room (cella), we enter a central 
court (atrium), having a reservoir (impluvium) in the centre 
for storing rainwater. This court was surrounded by a covered 
passage admitting to different rooms, the chief of which in the 
rear of the court is the public room (tablinum), where peo- 
ple on business bent were received, all the various rooms 
around the atrium being of a public character. Passing from 
the atrium, we come into a larger inner court, the peristylium, 
so called because it was usually surrounded by columns. 
Around this peristyle were the private family rooms, including 
the eating room and kitchen, and the sleeping rooms, most of 
which were up-stairs. 

Everywhere in these houses there are elaborate wall decora- 




POMPEI. 

1.' 4.200 



POMPEII 315 

tioiis with bright colours, as a rule in the utmost taste and 
harmony. They are usually painted stucco laid on cemented 
bricks, but sometimes are in fine mosaics. The frescoes 
and mosaics show scenes of love, war and mythology. The 
best have largely been removed to the Naples Museum, but 
many excellent specimens still remain, although somewhat 
faded from exposure. 

A VISIT TO THE RUINS 

Starting at the Porta Marina we enter the Museum contain- 
ing casts of windows, doors and other objects in wood. 

In the glass cases are the figures of human bodies formed by 
fining the cavity, left by the decayed body in the hardened 
ashes, with plaster. The postures and struggles of the body 
are fully reproduced, and even the features are often well pre- 
served. The figure of a young girl, evidently overtaken in 
sleep, and with a countenance in perfect repose is most striking. 
Here are also a mother and daughter lying close together. 
The skeletons of horses and dogs and of a cat are shown. 

Passing now along a narrow street, we come to the Basilica, 
used both as a market and as a law-court. Its interior has 
several series of Ionic brick columns and half columns, and at 
the end of the building an elevated tribunal still stands. It is 
doubtful whether this edifice was rebuilt after its partial 
destruction by the earthquake in 62^. 

Passing the ruins of the Temple of Venus, with remains 
of columns and its altars intact, we approach The Forum, 
a great open structure, 515 feet long and 107 feet wide, paved 
with large slabs, with numerous pedestals which for the most 
part were never occupied, as the Forum had not been com- 
pleted. On its south side are buildings connected with the 
law-courts. 

On the east side of the Forum is the Chalchidicum or 
Exchange, also called the Building of Eumachia, because the 
building, according to the inscription was erected by this 
priestess, whose statue is now in the Naples Museum. It was 



3i6 ITALT 

originally surrounded by fifty-four columns of Parian marble, 
which have long since been removed, only fragments being left. 

Beyond this, still to the east of the Forum is the Temple of 
Mercury with a finely sculptured altar, and next to it is the 
Curia or Town Hall, now in ruins. Just beyond at the 
northeast corner of the Forum is the Temple of Augustus, 
so called because the Statue of the Emperor, with those of 
Livia and Drusus (all now in the Museum), were found here. 
The celebrated picture of Ulysses meeting Penelope also came 
from this temple. 

Passing through a Triumphal Arch in brick, we come at the 
northern end of the Forum to the Temple of Jupiter, also 
called the Capitolium, originally used for the worship of 
Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, but already in ruins at the time 
of the eruption. A stair leads to an upper story, from which 
there is a fine View, suggesting Shelley* s poetic conception in 
the words beginning, 

" I stood within a city disinterred 
And heard the autumnal leaves like light footfalls 
Of spirits passing through the streets ; and heard 
The mountain's slumberous voice at intervals 
Thrill through those roofless halls." 

The Strada del Foro, going north brings us to the small 
Temple of Fortune, erected by Marcus Tullius, so the in- 
scription tells us, upon his own ground. On the opposite 
corner are the Thermae or Public Baths, where we can see 
the dressing-room surrounded by benches, the cold bath with 
the fine marble pavement, the tepid bath in a room with a 
handsome cornice, and the hot bath in the room with a peculiar 
ribbed ceiling. 

Just opposite is the House of the Tragic Poet, one of the 
finest in Pompeii, so called from the representation, found in the 
tablinum, of a supposed poet reading, as well as from a mosaic 
representing a theatrical rehearsal. This is the so-called House 



POMPEII 317 

of Glaucus in Bulwer's *'Last Days of Pompeii.'* On the 
threshold was a dog in Mosaic with the words *' Beware of the 
Dog/' now in the Naples Museum. 

Just opposite to the west is the House of Pansa, occupy- 
ing a whole insula or section, being 319 feet long and 124 feet 
broad and comprising sixteen shops and dwellings. This is 
the house which has been reproduced at Saratoga, New York, 
by Mr. Franklin W. Smith. On the threshold is the greeting 
<* Salve ''in Mosaic. It is recorded that Cicero took a letter 
** ex Pansae Pompeiano " to Atticus. 

Bearing to the northwest and crossing the Vicolo di Modesto, 
we find such interesting houses as the House of Sallust with 
its atrium and adjoining rooms painted to imitate marble, a 
Bake House with large ovens, the House of the Surgeon, so 
called from the number of surgical instruments found, and 
probably the oldest house in the city, being built from massive 
limestone blocks. Just beyond is the Porta di Ercolano, one of 
the eight gates of the city, outside of which is the Street of 
THE Tombs, the various mausolea containing the names of the 
deceased, together with laudatory inscriptions. 

Returning to the Strada di Mercurio, and beginning at the 
north we come to the House of Apollo (No. 23) on the west, 
so called because of the number of representations of this 
divinity found here; the House of Meleager (No. 2), on the 
east with some attractive frescoes ; the House of the Centaur 
(Nos. 5 and 3), consisting of two houses connected by a door; 
the House of Adonis (No. 18), just opposite, so named from 
a Statue; the House of Castor and Pollux (Nos. 6 and 7) 
consisting of two connected houses. On the southeast corner 
where the Strada di Mercurio crosses the Vicolo di Mercurio 
is the Tavern (No. i) with a fountain in front of it ornamented 
with a head of Mercury, from which both the Strada and the 
Vicolo di Mercurio take their name. The Tavern is filled with 
paintings of convivial scenes. 

Continuing on the Strada di Mercurio, we pass the House 
of the Small Fountain (No. 23), the House of the Large 



3i8 ITALT 

Fountain (No. 22) and the House of the Fuller (20) with 
dyeing vats and a gallery for drying the cloth. 

Going eastward on the Strada della Fortuna we come to the 
celebrated House of the Faun (No. i), perhaps the largest 
in Pompeii, 262 feet long and 125 feet wide, in which fine 
mosaics take the place of the usual paintings. It is so called 
from a small statue of a Dancing Faun found in the atrium. 
On the opposite northeast corner of the Vicolo di Mercurio 
is the House of the Vettii, with most elaborate paintings 
and marble decorations. 

The Strada deir Abondanza, starting near the southeast 
corner of the Forum, is the special street for shops, on which 
vehicles were not permitted, several stone pillars near the 
Forum blocking the way. This crosses the Vico del Lupanare, 
so called from the house (No. 18), now closed, the bad char- 
acter of which is evident from the paintings and inscriptions. 
Just beyond is the House of Cornelius Rufus (No. 15). 

To the south of this is the interesting Foro Triangulare 
which was surrounded by a Portico of 100 Doric columns on 
three sides. The side towards the sea has the ruins of a fine 
Greek Temple ioi X67 feet, probably dedicated to Minerva, 
which was not rebuilt after its destruction by the earthquake 
sixteen years previously. Near by is the Bidental, or altar and 
the small adjacent rooms in which the skeletons of several 
priests were found with sacrificial utensils at their side. 

To the right of the Foro is the Great Theatre, a semi- 
circular structure, lined with marble and open to the air, 
capable of holding 5,000 spectators. On the top of the wall 
can be seen the stone rings which supported an awning in 
sunny weather. The adjacent Small Theatre, with room for 
1,500 spectators, is in a splendid state of preservation. Just 
below are the Barracks of the Gladiators. Here were 
found some sixty-three bodies of men, women and children, as 
well as iron stocks and gladiatorial weapons. 

Just above the Great Theatre is the splendid Temple of 
Isis^ restored after the earthquake, according to the inscrip- 




SPECIAL SOLDIERS OF KING GEORGE, ATHENS 

HOUSE IN POMPEII 

CAPRI 



POMPEII 319 

tion, by a boy of six years, who in honour of his munificence 
was given the rank of the decuriones. It is the best example 
of a heathen temple used in the first century which is now ex- 
isting. The officiating priest was wont to withdraw from the 
view of the worshippers and minister alone to the gods. In 
the chambers of the priests were found several skeletons, and 
on the altar were the remains of sacrifices. A small statue of 
Isis, now in the Naples Museum, was found in the portico of 
the temple. 

The Amphitheatre at the southeast end of the town was 
large enough to accommodate 20,000 spectators, being 444 feet 
long and 342 feet wide. It is only partially excavated. 
Bulwer's story of the people being surprised by the eruption 
while witnessing a gladiatorial combat is a myth, and Bulwer 
is guilty of a striking anachronism, as the Amphitheatre was 
not in use for some years previous to the year 79. 

Practical Hints. — The distance from Naples to Pompeii is 
fifteen miles, the time required being about fifty minutes. Ad- 
mission on Sunday is free, but no guides are furnished. Other 
days the entrance fee is five lire. Guides also expect a tip. 
They have little archaeological knowledge, but are useful in 
showing the way. The gates are open from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. 
The guides are all too apt to hurry visitors, often making 
the round in two hours. Tourists should insist on making 
the entire round of places of interest herein indicated, and 
unsatisfactory guides should be threatened with a complaint 
to the Inspector (soprastante). At least four or five hours 
should be given to the ruins. Dinner can be had at the en- 
trance to Pompeii at the Hotel Suisse for sixteen lire. 

MT. VESUVIUS 

Mount Vesuvius varies in height according to the effect of 
eruptions from 3,900 to 4,300 feet. It is the only active vol- 
cano in a highly volcanic district. Strabo, writing in the time 
of the Emperor Augustus, speaks of the mountain being covered 



320 ITALT 

with meadows and gardens, almost to the top. The disastrous 
eruption in 63, which destroyed Pompeii and other surrounding 
towns changed this garden into a desert. The eruption of 79, 
with its appalling fury, completed the work of destruction. It 
was at the later date (79) that the naturalist Pliny (the Elder) 
perished by suffocation from the gases and ashes, while en- 
deavouring to render aid to the endangered. 

Since 79 there have been fifty-nine eruptions, the most ter- 
rible being in 1631, when 3,000 persons perished. In more 
recent years the activity of the volcano has been renewed, and 
in 1872 twenty persons lost their lives by a sudden outburst of 
lava. An eruption of lava also began in 1895, and the lava 
has since continued to flow, although as yet not endangering 
human lives. In the fall of 1904, an unusually threatening 
eruption destroyed the upper station of the Wire Rope Railway, 
making the ascent for the time impossible. The regular charge 
for the Railway trip is twenty-one francs. The full trip on horse- 
back is extremely fatiguing. Unless the day is very clear and 
the crater unusually quiescent, the trip is apt to be disappoint- 
ing, owing to the smoky haze that shuts out the view, and to 
the presence of noxious fumes. 

SORRENTO 

Sorrento is a small but picturesque town of about 7,500 
people, its orange and lemon gardens with which it is sur- 
rounded growing luxuriantly on great precipitous rocks, over- 
looking the sea. The deep ravines which surround it were 
supposed by popular legend to be peopled with dwarfs. This 
was the home of Tasso, who died at Rome in 1595, but the sea 
has long since swallowed up the house in which he lived and 
the rock on which it was built. 

Sorrento has excellent hotels and is a favourite winter and 
spring resort. The famous drive to Amalfi^ passing through 
La Cava, etc., can be continued from Sorrento. 

CAPRI 

As this small mountainous island is also included in the 



ROME 321 

Sorrento excursion, it should receive mention. It has an area 
of about six square miles. Its great cliffs rising abruptly 900 
feet out of the sea, give a beautiful view of the Bay of Naples. 
It is popular among tourists, about 30,000 strangers visiting it 
annually. The Monte Solaro, with its height of 1,920 feet, 
gives a superb view. The Blue Grotto (175x100 feet) is 
dazzlingly beautiful from the blue refraction of light on every 
object. 

The Blue Grotto is not accessible on days when the wind is 
from the east or north, as the small boats cannot enter the 
narrow entrance, scarcely three feet in height, when the sea is 
rough. The view within the Grotto is more beautiful late in 
the afternoon than at noonday. 

It is very desirable to visit the extensive ruins of the Villa of 
Tiberius, from which point there is a magnificent view. 



Ill — ROME 

« Infinite riches in a little room»^ 

Note. — A complete New Guide to Rome, by A. D. Jani, published by 
Verdesi, costing ten lire, can be had at any bookstore in Rome. Mr. 
Jani also delivers lectures in excellent English amid the ruins of classical 
Rome. 

WE would strongly urge that all prospective visitors 
to Rome endeavour to get a clear bird's eye view 
of the life of its centuries, which will help to throw 
much light upon the magnificent ruins and upon the invaluable 
works of art which have come down through the ages. Read- 
ing some good History of Art, and a book on Greek and 
Roman Mythology would also enhance the value of the Art 
Galleries and Museums. 

It is an appalling task to try to **do" Rome within a few 
days' time. It will be best for a person having only a limited 
time in the "Eternal City,*' to leave nine-tenths of the 



322 ITALT 

churches and places of interest indicated in guide-books un- 
touched. It will be time better spent to see the great dis- 
tinguishing features thoroughly. 

It is very desirable, in order to get a good idea of the intri- 
cate topography of Rome, to take a three hours' drive through 
its principal thoroughfares, all the while following the map 
closely. Dr. S. Russell Forbes, in his ''Rambles in Rome,'* 
makes a suggestive outline for such a drive, which is here re- 
produced : 

" Start from the Piazza di Spagna ; drive down the Via Babuino to the 
Piazza del Popolo, up to the Pincio, for a view of Rome, looking west ; 
then along the Via Sistina, up the Quattro Fontane, to the right, down the 
Via Quirinale ; stop in the square for the view. Proceeding to the Via 
Nazionale, turn up it to the left as far as the Via Agostino Depretis ; then 
turn to the right past S. Maria Maggiore direct to the Lateran, from the 
front of which see the view eastwards ; then follow the Via S. Giovanni 
down to the Colosseum, passing by the most perfect part. By the Via del 
Colosseo, Tor di Conti, Via Croce Bianca, Arco dei Pantani, Forum of 
Augustus, and Via Bonella, you reach the Forum, under the Capitoline 
Hill. Continuing by the Via Consolazione and Piazza Campitelli, follow 
the line of streets to the Ponte Sisto ; crossing this, proceed up the Via 
Garibaldi to S. Peter in Montorio. Grand view of Rome and the Cam- 
pagna, looking north, east and south. 

" Hence, by the new Villa Corsini, drive to the left down the Lungara to 
S. Peter's ; drive round the square ; then down the Borgo Nuovo to the 
Castle of S. Angelo. Crossing the bridge, take the Via Coronari to the 
Circo Agonale ; then on to the Pantheon, and by the Minerva to the 
Piazza di Venezia ; thence up the Corso as far as the Via Condotti, up 
which street you return to the Piazza di Spagna, after having thus made 
the most interesting drive in the world." 

Piazza del Popolo. — This is the most convenient starting 
place in Rome, from which the four principal lines of thorough- 
fare diverge. In the centre is the Egyptian obelisk, seventy- 
six feet six inches high, originally brought from the Temple of 
the Sun at Heliopolis and erected by Augustus in honour of 
Apollo. Here is also the Church of S. Maria del Popolo, dat- 
ing from 1 08 1. The interior was remodelled by Bernini in the 



ROME 323 

baroque style, and its Chigi Chapel represents Raphael 
as architect, painter and sculptor. In the Augustine 
Convent just adjoining, Luther had his residence while in 
Rome. 

The Pincian Hill on the left side of the Piazza gives from 
its terrace a beautiful view of the City. This ''Pincian Hill *' 
is the favourite promenade of the Roman aristocracy. It was 
in the Palace on this elevation that Messalina, the infamous wife 
of Claudius, pursued her revels, and in the adjacent garden of 
Lucullus met her tragic death. 

The Corso, although somewhat narrow, is the most impor- 
tant street in Rome, and is about a mile long. Here may be 
found the Church of S. Lorenzo in Lucina with its grand pic- 
ture, by Guido Reni, of the Crucifixion. On the right of the 
Corso is the Church of S. Maria in Via Lata, in which tradi- 
tion has it that Luke wrote his New Testament writings, and in 
the subterranean Church of which St. Paul is said to have 
lodged. 

The Doria Palace is an extremely large building, and is 
said to have afforded a dwelling-place for hundreds of per- 
sons. Its Picture Gallery (open Tuesdays and Fridays from 
ten to two ; no fee) contains only a few works of note. Special 
mention, however, should be made of Claude Lorraine's Land- 
scape with a temple of Apollo (76) and The Mill (88) by the 
same artist, which are found in Gallery I., and the Portrait 
of Pope Innocent X(ii8) by Velazquez, found in the adjoin- 
ing cabinet. In Gallery II, Room IV is the Madonna (159) 
by Rondinelli, and in Gallery IV are Titian's Daughter of 
Herodias (388) and Raphael's Venetian Scholars^ Navagero 
and Beazzano (403). 

The Pantheon is one of the most imposing and well-pre- 
served of all the Roman buildings, and is a magnificent ex- 
ample of the Roman architecture. It was built by Agrippa, 
the son-in-law of Augustus, and dates from the beginning of the 
Christian era, but its present form is largely due to the rebuild- 
ing by Hadrian. It was consecrated as a Church in 609. It 



324 IT ALT 

has a magnificent portico supported by sixteen Corinthian 
columns, forty-one feet high, and five feet in diameter. The 
massive interior is lighted from a great aperture in the dome. 
The dome is an impressive piece of architecture, being 142 feet 
high and the same number of feet in diameter. 

The tomb of Victor Emanuel II is in the second recess to 
the right, and that of Humbert I is to the left, and by the third 
altar to the left is the tomb of Raphael. Other celebrated 
artists are also buried here. 

THE CAPITOLINE HILL 

This hill, while the smallest of all the seven, was historically 
the most important, being the hill of the Kings and of the Re- 
public, while the Palatine hill was the hill of the Empire. 

There are three approaches ascending the hill, the one to the 
left consisting of a flight of 1 24 steps leading to the Church of 
Santa Maria in Aracoeli. This is one of the most 
interesting of the Churches, and was originally the site of a 
pagan temple. While the Church has little architectural 
beauty, its interior is solemn and impressive. Its mosaic pul- 
pit and floor, its frescoes and antique columns, its rich golden 
ceiling and its medieval tombs, all touched with antiquity, give 
a noble effect. Here it was, according to Gibbon himself, that 
the idea of the ^'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire*' had 
its origin. 

The ascent to the right leads to the Pallazzo Caffarelli, 
formerly used by the German Embassy, and the central ascent 
leads up to the Capitol Square, and its surrounding palaces. 
In the centre of the Square is the famous Equestrian Statue 
OF Marcus Aurelius, the finest work in bronze coming to us 
from ancient times. 

The Capitoline Museum. — (Open every day from ten to 
three; Sundays, ten to one; entrance fee two lire.) This is 
in the palace to the left of the Square and contains a collection 
of Roman antique sculpture, which is only surpassed by that in 
the Vatican. 



ROME 325 

Passing the colossal river-god in the centre of the court, the 
black granite Egyptian lions to the right and left, and son:ie 
interesting sarcophagi on the ground floor, we ascend the stair- 
case. 

Room I. has in its centre the celebrated Dying Gladiator^ 
recognized from his torque as a Gaul (i) ; Alexander the 
Great (3) ; and the Resting Satyr of Praxiteles (10), which 
inspired Hawthorne's '' Marble Faun.'* 

In Room II is the celebrated Faun (i) found at Hadrian's 
villa in Trivoli; a Head of Ariadne (21); and a Sarcophagus 
(3) with relief of Diana and Endymion, 

In Room III (Large Saloon) \s Jupiter (i) in black marble; 
two Centaurs (2, 4) in dark marble j a colossal statue of the 
Youthful Hercules {^^ ', the Wounded Amazon (^^tZ) \ Athena 
(^2f>) ; Apollo (7) ; Ceres (24) ; and Harpocrates, god of 
silence (28). 

In Room IV, in addition to some valuable reliefs from the 
temple of Neptune, there are ninety-three busts of celebrated 
Characters of Antiquity. Among these are Socrates (4, 5, 6) 
Diogenes (21); Sophocles (22); Demosthenes (31); Homer 
(44, 45, 46); and Flato (58). 

Room V. has the celebrated Collection of the Busts of Emper- 
ors. Among these are Julius Ccesar (i); Augustus (2); 
Tiberius (4); Caligula (ii)j Messalina (13); Nero (16); 
Galha (18); Vespasian (21); Titus (22); Julia (23); 
Domitian (24); Trajan (27); Hadrian (31); Antonius 
Pius (35); Marcus Aurelius (38); Caracalla (53); Alex- 
ander Severus (60) and others. 

Corridor VI has a fine marble vase with a procession of 
twelve gods; Pallas (29) ; Jupiter (25) ; Psyche tormented by 
Cupid (20); Colossal Head of Venus (15); and Cupid bend- 
ing his Bow (5). In an adjoining room is the celebrated 
Capitoline Venus, the work of a Greek sculptor after the 
manner of Praxiteles ; and a fine group of Cupid and Psyche, 

In Room VII is the well known Mosaic of the Doves on a 
Fountain Basin; a Sarcophagus with Prometheus forming man. 



326 irALT 

whom Minerva inspires with life (13); and the Ilian Tablet 
(83), a small relief showing the destruction of Troy and the 
flight of ^neus. 

The Palace of the Conservatori (same hours as Capito- 
line Museum) is opposite the Capitoline Museum, and also has 
some important collections : — 

In the Court is the Cinerary Urn of Agrippina, the wife 
of Germanicus ; and a statue of Julius Ccesar, Ascending 
the Staircase, on the first landing of which may be found re- 
liefs from an Arch of Honour to Marcus Aurelius, we reach a 
Corridor containing a collection of Porcelain, and the Sale 
DEI Conservatori, decorated with frescoes of scenes from 
Roman history. 

To the left of the entrance is the fine New Capitoline 
Collection, containing bronzes and other antiques found in 
recent excavations. Passing through several rooms containing 
portrait-heads, and beyond through a corridor, we enter the 
Sala degli Orti Lamiani, containing marble antiquities found 
on the Esquiline. Here to the right is the Head of a Cen- 
taur (81); Tritons (35, 37) ; the celebrated half-figure of the 
Emperor Commodus (^^fi) having ascribed to it the attributes 
of Hercules; and especially the Esquiline Venus (55), dedi- 
cated to the worship of Isis. 

Passing into a Garden Court, we see two ancient foun- 
tains, and on the wall is a Plan of the City of Rome as it 
existed about 205 b. c. 

In the Room of the Bronzes is a number of fine works, 
including the Roman Pries fs Boy; 2i Bronze Head with m- 
serted eyes, a Horse of fine workmanship; the Capitoline 
Wolf, from the sixth century b. c, and the well-known Boy 
Extracting a Thorn. 

The Room of the Vases contains a collection of vases, terra- 
cottas, bronzes and silver ornaments. 

The Picture Gallery is small, but contains several fine 
paintings including Rubens' Romulus and Remus (84) ; Guer- 
cino's St, Petronilla raised from the Dead and shown to her 



ROME 327 

Bridegroom (221) ; Titian's Baptism of Christ (145) ; Guido 
Reni's St. Sebastian (245) ; Velazquez* Portrait of himself 
(139), and the portraits of the Painters Lucas and de Wael 
(137) by Van Dyck, as well as his portraits of the poets 
Thomas Killigrew and Henry Carew (138). 

The Monument to Victor Emanuel II, designed by 
Count Sacconi, is on the northeast end of the Capitoline hill 
facing the Corso, and is the most imposing equestrian statue in 
existence. Its entire cost is not far from ^3,000,000. It com- 
memorates the unifying of Italy in 1870. 

THE FORUM ROMANUM 
This occupied the valley between the Capitoline and Pala- 
tine hills and originally was the Roman market-place, tradition 
having it that it was the scene of the seizure of the Sabine 
women. Gradually a number of temples and public build- 
ings were erected, the earliest of which were the Temple of 
Vesta, the Temple of Saturn, the Temple of Castor and Pollux 
and the Temple of Concord. Under Augustus, it reached its 
height of glory and beauty, and so remained until the sixth 
century. After that time it began to be pillaged for building 
materials, until little remained but rubbish heaps, and the very 
existence of the Forum was forgotten until about 1780 when 
the Roman government began the systematic work of excavation. 
It is impossible by any description in a book to give a clear 
conception of the location of the various ruins, most of which 
have little to show of their original form and grandeur. Usually 
some reputable lecturer accompanies a party of tourists and 
points out the various places of interest. 

Standing on the hill above, a good view of the Forum may 
be obtained. To the left may be seen the Temple of Saturn 
with eight standing columns, the Temple of Vespasian with 
three columns, and the arch of Septimius Severus, Behind the 
Temple of Saturn is the column of Phocas, and the Temple of 
Antonius and Faustina with an octostyle portico, while directly 
opposite are the three magnificent pillars of the Temple of 



328 irALT 

Castor and Pollux. As the eye follows the '' Sacra Via *' (as 
the original way along these temples was called), we can see to 
the left the circular Temple of Romulus forming the vestibule 
of the present Church of Santi Cosma e Damiano, and beyond 
the great arches of the Basilica of Maxentius. In the back- 
ground are the Church of Santa Francesca Romana (where the 
Temples of Venus and Roma once stood), the Colosseum, the 
Arch of Titus and to the right the ruins of the Palatine. 

The enthusiastic antiquarian can find traces in this limited 
area, about 800 feet long and an average of 300 feet wide, of 
the remains of over sixty temples, public buildings, tombs, 
arches, columns and conspicuous statues. We have room for 
the mention of only a few. (Forum open 9-9 ; two lire.) 

The Temple of Concord was begun in 366 b. c. to cele- 
brate the harmony established between the Plebeians and the 
Patricians. The Basilica Julia was built on previous sites by 
Julius Csesar, and named after the Julien family, and was 
completed by Augustus. It was a large and impressive 
structure, paved with marble, and richly ornamented. The 
Temple of Saturn, of which eight Ionic columns are still 
standing, was dedicated to Saturn, and contained the public 
treasury. On its steps Roman generals were required to take 
oath that they would make a correct statement of spoils and 
prisoners. 

The massive stone remains of the Rostra, or orator's plat- 
form, were the scene of the great orations of Cicero, and after 
his assassination, his head and hands were placed here; ''nor 
was there a less concourse to see him there than had formerly 
been to hear him.'* Here also Mark Anthony made his 
famous speech. The Triumphal Arch of Septimus Severus, 
seventy-five feet high and eighty-two feet broad, was erected 
205 A. D. in honour of the Emperor by his two sons Caracalla 
and Geta. It was surmounted by a bronze chariot with six 
horses, Severus being crowned by Victory, standing in the 
chariot. After Caracalla had murdered his brother Geta, he 
erased the latter's name from the inscription. 




THE COLISEUM, ROME 

INTERIOR OF ST. PAUL'S, ROME 

ARCH OF TITUS, ROME 



ROME 329 

The Atrium VESXiE, or Palace of the Vestal Virgins, was 
an extensive building 222 feet long and seventy«six feet wide, 
the whole surrounded by forty-four columns of various marbles. 
Near by are the remains of the celebrated Temple of Vesta, 
where the sacred fire was constantly watched by two of the 
Virgins. These were bound by a vow which was to last thirty 
years, and the penalty for the violation of certain Sisterhood 
rules was being buried alive. 

The Basilica of Constantine still has three huge arches 
standing of an imposing edifice, the great span of its arches 
serving as models to modern architects, being copied in 
St. Peter's and other Roman churches. The original hall was 
2,^^ feet long, and eighty-four feet wide, and its former splen- 
dour can still be judged from the imposing ruins. 

The Arch of Titus is situated on the Velia hill which sepa- 
rates the Forum from the Colosseum, and was erected in honour 
of the conqueror of Jerusalem after his death and deification. 
It is one of the most important and remarkable of all ancient 
remains, and especially interesting to Bible students. On the 
inner side is seen Titus crowned by Victory standing in a 
triumphal chariot, and in the procession are captive Jews bear- 
ing a table with the Temple showbread, and the seven-branched 
candlestick, emblematic, according to the statement of Josephus, 
of the seven days in the week. 

The Colosseum. — This *^ noble wreck in ruinous perfec- 
tion," is the largest amphitheatre ever constructed, its circum-^ 
ference being 1,900 feet, or more than a third of a mile. It 
had seats for about 50,000 spectators, the foremost row being 
reserved for the emperor, the senators and the Vestal Virgins. 
It probably received its name from the colossal Statue of 
Nero, 118 feet high, which stood near by. The arena is 273 
X 1 20 feet. Beneath it and in the cellars around it were the 
dens of lions, tigers, bears and fierce bulls, which formed so 
important a factor in the contests. During the 100 days* 
festivities that marked the opening of the Colosseum by Titus 
in 80 A. D., it is said that 5,000 wild animals were killed. 



330 ITALY 

While tradition has it that the architect was Gaudentius, after- 
wards a Christian martyr, it is more probable that the architect 
was Aterius, whose monument may be seen in the Lateran. It 
was, however, a favourite place for the martyrdom of Christians 
under the persecuting emperors, St. Ignatius and hundreds of 
martyrs having perished here. Only about a third of the original 
building now stands, it having been a prolific quarry for the 
building of structures in Rome during recent centuries. The 
Colosseum by moonlight, as indicated in Byron's ^' Childe 
Harold," is a most impressive sight. 

The Triumphal Arch of Constantine is the best pre- 
served ancient structure in Rome. It was erected by Constan- 
tine after his victory over Maxentius in 312, at which time he 
publicly announced his acceptance of Christianity. Constan- 
tine evidently used the main structure of the existing Arch of 
Isis, and built thereon a superstructure ornamented with reliefs 
taken from the Arches of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius. One 
of the rehefs on the side arches represents Constantine ad- 
dressing the people from the Rostra, a number of the buildings 
of the Forum as they existed in that day being visible in the 
background. 

The Mamertine Prison which is the under part of the 
Church of S. Giuseppe dei Falegnami facing the Forum, is 
one of the most ancient of the Roman remains. Here, accord- 
ing to tradition, both St. Paul and St. Peter were imprisoned, 
but the only evidence is the fact that this prison, known in that 
period as the Tullian prison, was used for the confinement of 
state prisoners who were sentenced to death. Here Jugurtha, 
king of Numidia, was starved to death, and Vercingetorix, the 
king of the Gauls, as well as the Cataline conspirators con- 
demned by order of Cicero and many other prisoners of note, 
perished. Here is a spring declared by a legend to have been 
miraculously produced by St. Peter, that he might have water 
to baptize his jailors. 

The Forum of Trajan has been only partly excavated, and 
the foundations of a large Basilica have been disclosed. This 



ROME 331 

was popularly called the Hall of Liberty, from the fact that 
slaves were freed here. On the north of the basilica is the 
famous Trajan's Column, a magnificent marble pillar composed 
of thirty- four blocks, which, together with the pedestal reaches 
a height of 127 feet. It originally was surmounted with the 
statue of Trajan, but it was supplanted in 1587 by a statue of 
St. Peter, eleven feet high. A spiral band of magnificent bas- 
reliefs, three to four feet wide and 660 feet long, encircles the 
column from the bottom to the top, descriptive of Trajan's war 
with the Dacians. Over twenty-five hundred human figures, 
besides horses, chariots, etc., are represented, their height being 
gradually increased towards the top of the monument, so that 
from the ground all the figures seem uniform in size. 

THE PALATINE HILL 
Here Romulus laid the foundations of the early city of 
Rome. During the period of the Kings and the Republic, it 
was a favourite residence region, Cicero, Hortensius and 
other celebrated men having their houses here. Augustus, 
who was born on the Palatine, erected a mammoth and gorgeous 
palace here, and hence the Palatine became the scene of royalty 
during the Empire, and the foundations and remains of some 
of the most magnificent buildings ever erected lie buried in the 
gardens. 

Here (open 9 to 6 ; fee, two lire — Sunday free) is the Palace 
OF Tiberius, the House of Livia, the mother of Tiberius, with 
its fine mural paintings ; the House of Augustus, which was 
the Imperial Palace, the state apartments in a ruined condition 
being visible, stripped of their marbles and decorations. The 
remains of many other buildings are seen, such as the Temple 
of Victory, the Temple of Jupiter Victor, the Palace of 
DoMiTiAN with its lavish decorations, the Stadium, the Palace 
OF Severus, and others. Most of these have not been fully 
excavated. 

The Baths of Caracalla (open from nine to six; fee, 
two lire) were built upon a stupendous scale, the entire length 



332 ITALT 

including the magnificent pleasure grounds surrounding the 
Baths, being 5,520 feet, or more than a mile, and the width 
4,428 feet. They included not only the various baths, but a 
series of connected buildings, such as art galleries, a great 
court for athletic sports, halls for teaching youth, etc. There 
were accommodations for 1,600 bathers. Here some of the 
finest specimens of Roman art were found, such as the Farnese 
Hercules, the Flora and the Farnese Bull. These Baths are 
best reached en route to the Appian Way. 

THE SQUARE OF THE LATERAN 

This is a magnificent Square, surrounded by some imposing 
buildings, which were the centre of religious Rome for a thou- 
sand years before the building of St, Peter's and the present 
Vatican. In the centre is the largest Obelisk in the world, 
105 feet high, originally erected at Thebes by Thotmes IV in 
1650 B. c. Together with its present pedestal it reaches a 
height of 154 feet. 

The Church of St. John in Lateran dates from the time 
of Constantine, but it has been destroyed and rebuilt a number 
of times. It has some fine mosaics and marbles, but as a whole 
is much inferior to St. Peter's or St. Maria Maggiore. The 
beautiful bronze door came from the Senate House in the 
Forum. There are a number of fine chapels, chief of which is 
the Corsini Chapel, the first chapel on the left which contains a 
porphyry vessel and four porphyry columns from the Pantheon. 
Some important works are the Portrait of Boniface VIII hy 
Giotto, the fine fresco of The Ascension by Arpino, and espe- 
cially in the crypt, a beautiful Pieia in marble, usually at- 
tributed to Bernini, which certainly approximates in beauty to 
the ''Pieta'* of Michael Angelo in St. Peter's. 

The Lateran Museum (open after 10 a. m., fee two lire, 
rooms cold, a wrap is needed), is in the former Palace of the 
Lateran, and contains a number of fine sarcophagi and bas- 
reliefs. 

Room I. contains a Mosaic with Pugilists and a grand relief 



ROME 333 

of Trajan followed by Senators ^ from the Forum of Trajan. 
Room II contains fragments from Trajan's Forum, representing 
arabesques, children, grifi&ns, etc. Room III has a Statue of 
JEsculapius found at Tivoli, and a Statue of Antinous (256), 
represented as a god of flowers. Room IV has a Greek relief 
of Medea and the daughters of Peleus (278). In Room VII is 
the Dancing Satyr (462), and the Statue of Sophocles (476), 
the finest object in the Museum and one of the most beautiful 
of all portrait-statues. Room X. has some interesting reliefs 
showing Roman funeral solemnities, the procession being rep- 
resented as passing the ancient Colosseum and Arch of Titus. 

The Christian Museum contains some Christian Sarcophagi 
of the fourth and fifth centuries, with statues of the Good 
Shepherd, representations of miracles, Christ among the 
Apostles and scenes of our Lord's Passion. 

The adjoining picture gallery has several good pictures of 
Filippo Lippi, Andrea del Sarto, etc. 

The Scala Sancta will be found in a building opposite the 
northeast corner of the Lateran. This famous staircase, ac- 
cording to tradition is the one which was in the house of 
Pilate, upon which Christ trod at the beginning of His way 
along the Via Dolorosa. Its wooden casings have been re- 
peatedly worn out by the knees of ascending pilgrims. It is 
currently believed that certain stains which may be seen under 
the casing are from the blood of the Saviour. This is the stair- 
case that Luther was ascending on his knees, when suddenly, 
with the battle-cry, ^'the just shall Hve by faith," he rose and 
walked away. At the head of the staircase is the Sancta 
Sanctorum, held so sacred that none but the Pope can officiate 
at its altar. It cannot be entered by visitors, but they are 
permitted to gaze through a grating. 

Castle of St. Angelo, or Hadrian's Tomb. — (Open from 
ten to four ; fee, two lire.) Crossing to the west bank of the 
Tiber on the way to St, Peter's, attention is attracted to the 
imposing Tomb of Hadrian, now called the Castle of St. 
Angelo. It was erected by Hadrian 130 a. d. The emperors 



334 ITALT 

from Hadrian to Caracalla, together with their families, were 
all interred here. The porphyry sarcophagus, which contained 
the remains of Hadrian, was removed by Pope Innocent II, in 
order that he might use it for his own tomb. This was des- 
troyed by fire in 1360, but the cover, which escaped, is now 
used as the font in the first Chapel on the left in St. Peter's. 

Originally this was the most beautiful mausoleum ever 
erected. The entire building was covered with Parian marble, 
and on the top, according to an ancient writer, were '^ statues 
of men and horses of admirable workmanship, in Parian 
marble.*' When the Goths besieged Rome, the Tomb was 
changed into a fortress, and the precious works of art upon its 
summit were hurled down upon the invaders. Its further de- 
struction occurred in 1378, when all the magnificent marble 
casings were torn away by a mob, and afterwards used as street 
paving. In order to increase its efficiency as a fortress, the 
bronze from the roof of the Pantheon was melted into cannon, 
and these were mounted on the citadel. Here at one time the 
archives of the Vatican were kept, as well as a great iron chest 
containing the treasury. It is asserted that Beatrice Cenci, 
Cagliostro, and other celebrated prisoners were confined here. 
The figure of the Archangel Michael sheathing his Sword 
commemorates the supposed vision of Gregory the Great, as a 
sign of the cessation of the plague which was then raging. 

The Piazza of St. Peter. — This great Square, or rather el- 
lipse, surrounded by immense colonnades designed and built by 
Bernini, gives St. Peter's a most majestic setting. The Piazza 
is 1,098 feet long and 780 feet wide, and its magnificent colon- 
nades are composed of 284 columns, enclosing long vistas sixty- 
one feet wide and sixty-four feet high. On the balustrades are 
placed 162 statues. The Obelisk in the centre was brought 
from Heliopolis by Caligula, following the craze for obelisks 
that has enriched Rome with fourteen great monoliths, a larger 
number than exists in the whole of the Egypt of to-day. On 
either side of the obelisk is a fine fountain, forty-five feet 
high. 



ROME 335 

CHURCH OF ST. PETER 

The original structure is said to have been built by Constan- 
tine upon the site of the Circus of Nero, the burial-place of St. 
Peter. Already during the middle ages the Church had dis- 
tinguished consideration, Charlemagne, on December 25, 800, 
being crowned here by Pope Leo III. A number of emperors 
after his time had their coronation here. The present struc- 
ture was begun by Pope Nicholas V, and some of the work fifty 
years later was done under the supervision of the architect Bra- 
mante. But Pope Paul III, '* being inspired by God,'* sent for 
Michael Angelo, then already seventy-two years old, and the 
present edifice is largely due to his majestic conceptions, although 
such masters as Raphael, della Porta and Bernini all contrib- 
uted to its final form. The structure was 176 years in build- 
ing, and the expense was so enormous that Popes Julius II and 
Leo X estabhshed the sale of indulgences, which in turn gave 
rise to the Reformation. The cost of the main building was 
about $60,000,000 but the building could not be reproduced 
in our day for many times that sum. 

The front, or Facade, is 357 feet long and 144 feet high, 
and on its balustrade are the Statues of Christ and the twelve 
apostles, each nineteen feet high. At the foot of the Vestibule 
are statues of St. Paul and St. Peter, with the characteristic 
likeness of each that dates back to the catacombs. Inside the 
Vestibule is the celebrated mosaic by Giotto of Peter walk- 
ing on the Sea. The magnificent bronze doors in the central 
entrance belong to the former Basilica. The door to the ex- 
treme right is the Porta Santa, opened only once in twenty- 
five years, the last Jubilee year being 1900. 

The Interior is impressive to the last degree, combining vast- 
ness with a marvellous degree of symmetry and proportion. The 
complete length is 6131^ feet, its width 446^ feet, and the in- 
terior height of the dome 440 feet. Owing to the fact that 
the statues and ornaments of St. Peter's are proportionate to 
these vast distances, one does not have the conception of the 
colossal dimensions, except by the living human figures on its 



336 ITALT 

pavement. It is asserted that on Easter Sunday not less than 
80,000 people find standing room within its walls. The Easter 
service witnessed by the writer in 1902 was certainly a most 
imposing occasion, with impressive music, led by a remarkable 
soloist, one of the last of the specially consecrated eunuchs or 
<^ Pope's angels," who retain their high feminine voices. There 
is now a legal prohibition against the consecration of eunuchs as 
singers. The exhibition of the sacred relics, such as the portion 
of the true cross and the napkin (still bearing the impression of 
the Saviour's face), was at too great a height to make the objects 
distinguishable. 

Passing up the central Nave, we come to a round slab of 
porphyry on which the emperors were formerly crowned. To 
the right is the Statue of St. Peter in bronze, of rude work- 
manship, but exercising a wonderful power over the imagina- 
tion of the people, the right foot being worn smooth by the 
kisses of devotees. The great Dome, 613 feet in circumference 
rests on four huge piers, each pier being 234 feet in circumference, 
in the niches of which are statues sixteen feet high of the Saints 
Longinus, Helena, Veronica, and Andrew, Above are four im- 
mense mosaics of the Evangelists. The frieze of the Dome 
contains the words in mosaic letters six feet high in Latin, 
*' Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church, 
and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." 

Beneath the dome is the magnificent bronze Canopy (Bal- 
dacchino) ninety-five feet high, designed by Bernini. The 
bronze was obtained by stripping the dome of the Pantheon. 
Four immense figures support a Chair at an elevation of seventy 
feet. Beneath is the Altar of St. Peter, where the Pope 
alone is privileged to read mass on great Festival occasions. 
Beneath the Altar is the reputed Tomb of St. Peter, descend- 
ing to which one passes the kneeling Statue of Pius VI by 
Canova. Gilded bronze doors close the niche containing the 
sarcophagus of the apostle. 

The Nave continues beyond the dome until we reach the 
great Tribune designed by Bernini, a bronze throne, in which 



ROME 337 

is enclosed the reputed wooden chair used by St. Peter. The 
Chair was last exhibited in 1867, and photographs can be ob- 
tained in Roman shops. The chair has a portrait of Charle- 
magne upon it, is Byzantine in style and plainly dates from 
about the eleventh century. 

It will be of interest to make the round of the side aisles 
opening into the various Chapels. Beginning at the extreme 
right of the entrance, the first Chapel contains Michael Angelo's 
Fietay representing the Virgin and the Dead Christ. It was 
the work of the artist when only twenty-four years of age. 
When critics objected that the Madonna looked too young, his 
answer was, ^' Purity enjoys eternal youth.** On the left is the 
Capella delta Colonna Santa, so named as having the reputed 
column brought from Jerusalem against which Christ leaned in 
the Temple, when disputing with the Doctors. Passing further 
up the aisle, to the right is the Tomb of Leo XII, and on 
the left the Tomb of Christina, daughter of Gustavus Adolphus 
of Sweden, who abjured Protestantism. The Chapel of the 
Sacrament has a Mosaic Copy of Caravaggio*s Entombment, 
and farther on, to the right is the Monument of Gregory XIII, 
supported by Religion and Power. On the left of the next 
Chapel is a mosaic copy of Domenichino's Last Communion of 
St. Jerome, A little further is a mosaic of St. Basil celebrat- 
ing Mass before the Emperor Valens, 

In the Transept are the fine mosaics of the Martyrdom of 
SS. Processus and Martinianus, the Martyrdom of St, Eras- 
mus, and Our Lord Walking on the Sea. Opposite is the 
celebrated Monument of Clement XIII, perhaps the greatest 
work of Canova, on which he spent eight years. Beyond this 
are the Mosaics of Guido's St. Michael and Guercino*s S. Fe- 
tronilla, each of which cost 150,000 francs. 

On the right of the Tribune (St. Peter's Chair) is the Tomb 
of Urban VIII, by Bernini, with a gilt skeleton inscribing the 
name of Urban on the list of the dead. On the left is the 
Tomb of Faul III. Proceeding towards the left transept we 
see the mosaic of St, Feter Healing the Lame Man from Man- 



338 ITALT 

cini. On the right is the rich Tomb of Alexander F/II and 
just beyond the A/^ar of Leo the Great, A little further on is 
the Monument of Alexander VII by Bernini, with the grue- 
some figure of death. Near by is Vanni*s Oil Painting on 
slate, the Fall of Simon Magus^ and in the Transept several 
mosaic pictures ; — the Incredulity of Thomas from Camuccini, 
Ananias and Sapphira from Roncalli, and the Transfiguration 
from Raphael. Opposite is the last Tomb erected in St. Peter's, 
being that of Pius VIII by Tenerani. 

In the Clementine Chapel just beyond reposes Gregory the 
Great, and near by is the Monument of Pius VJI by Thorvald- 
sen. To the right is the Monument of Leo X with a relief of 
Henry IV of France abjuring Protestantism^ and to the left 
that of Innocent XI with a relief of the Delivery of Vienna by 
King John Sobieski. Passing by the large Choir Chapel, where 
elaborate services are held each Sunday (people dressed in black 
only being admitted), we come to the new Tomb of Pius X^ 
where originally the remains of Pope Leo XIII were temporarily 
placed in July, 1903. To the left is the artistic Monument of 
Innocent VIII and a little further to the left is the Tomb of 
James III and his Sons by Canova, erected at the expense of 
George IV. The last chapel contains the prophyry cover of 
the Sarcophagus of Hadrian, now used as a font, to which 
previous reference was made. 

The Crypt of St. Peter is interesting to the historian, as 
it contains the tombs of a number of Popes and Cardinals. 
The most notable of these is the tomb of Adrian IV (Nicholas 
Breakspeare), the only Englishman among the Popes, who 
began life as a beggar boy. 

The Ascent to the Dome (open from eight to eleven) is 
through a door in the left Aisle, and is by an easy spiral in- 
clined plane. In the ascent there are fine views of the interior 
of the dome as well as of the Church below. On reaching the 
roof, the dome still towers 300 feet higher. The View of Rome 
from the Lantern is one of the most remarkable that the world 
affords. By a perpendicular ladder one can climb into the in- 



ROME 339 

terior of the huge copper ball, capable of containing half a 
dozen persons. 

THE VATICAN 

The Vatican is the largest Palace in the world, being 1,151 
feet long and 767 feet wide, and contains twenty courts and 
thousands of rooms. Owing to the fact that there is no unity 
of design, its exterior is far from impressive. The Vatican is 
open to visitors every day from ten to three, the admission be- 
ing two lire. The Pope's Swiss guards, who are in charge of 
the entrance, wear striking uniforms designed by Michael 
Angelo. 

Passing through the Museum on the Upper Floor and the 
Tapestry Galleries we enter the Sistine Chapel. 

The. Sistine Chapel was built by Sixtus IV in 1473. I* 
is celebrated for its frescoes by Michael Angelo. The lower 
part of the walls give scenes from the life of Christ on the right, 
and of Moses on the left. On the right (i) is the Baptism of 
Christ, by Perugino and Pinturicchio ; (2) Christ's Tempta- 
tion, by Botticelli ; (3) Call of Peter and Andrew, by Ghir- 
landajo \ (4) Sermon on the Mount and Cure of the Leper, by 
RoseUi; (5) Christ giving the keys to Peter, by Perugino; and 
(6) Roselli's Last Supper, On the left are (i) Moses and his 
wife Zipporah, by Perugino ; (2) Moses killing the Egyptian, 
by Botticelli; (3) Pharaoh's Destruction, by Cosimo; 
(4) Moses receiving the Law, by Roselli; (5) Destruction of 
sons of Korah, by Botticelli and (6) Moses as Lawgiver, and 
Aaron mourning over the body of Moses. 

The famous Frescoes on the ceiling occupied Michael 
Angelo more than four years, and, in spite of the technical 
difficulties involved in a vaulted ceiling, the result is one of the 
most magnificent contributions to modern art. It is divided 
into nine sections : — (i) God separating light from darkness ; 
(2) God creating the heavenly bodies, and also the plants of the 
earth ; (3) God creating marine life ; (4) God creating 
Adam; (5) God creating Eve; (6) The Temptation in 



J 



340 



it: ALT 




Eden; (7) NoaKs thank-offering; (8) liht Flood; and (9) 
NoaKs Drunkenness* 

Around the lower part of the vaulting are the figures of 
Prophets and Sibyls : — (i) Jeremiah ; (2) Persian Sibyl ; (3) 
Ezekiel ; (4) Erythrcean Sibyl; (^^ Joel ; (6) Zachariah ; 
(7) Delphic Sibyl ; (8) Isaiah; (9) Cumcean Sibyl; (10) 
Daniel; (11) Libyan Sibyl; (12) (above last Judgment) 
Jonahy a most remarkable figure. 

Thirty years later Michael Angelo painted on the front wall 
the Last Judgment, a massive work sixty-four feet wide and 
thirty-two feet high. It is now much faded and begrimed, and 
to the average observer the effect, although powerful, is some- 
what grotesque. 

The Sistine Chapel is used for the Passion Week Miserere, the 
signing of Popes' **Bulls,'' and the conclave electing the Popes. 

Raphael's Stanza, containing this Master's frescoes, has 
also great attraction for the lover of art. This consists of four 
rooms. 

In the Stanza dell' Incendio, the designs are by Raphael, 
but the painting was largely done by his associates and pupils. 
The ceiling has four frescoes by Perugino. The room is named 
after the principal work, the Conflagration of the Borgo, in 
which the miracle of the extinguishing of a fierce fire in the 
Vatican quarter by the sign of the cross made by Pope Leo IV 
is represented. The other works are the Oath of Leo III (i) ; 
the Victory of Leo II over the Saracens at Ostia (2), and 
the Coronation of Charlemagne (4). 

The Stanza della Signatura, so called from the judicial 
assembly presided over by the Pope which was here held, has a 
large number of fine works by Raphael himself. On the ceiHng 
are represented, (i) Theology; {2) Poetry ; (3) Philosophy j 
and (4) Justice. In the Mural Paintings are, (i ) The Disputa^ 
or Glorifying the Sacrament; representing the Trinity, the 
heroes of the Bible as well as the Church Fathers ; (2) Par- 
nassus^ showing Apollo, the nine Muses, and the ancient poets ^ 
(3) School of Athens f showing Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Di- 



ROME 341 

ogenes and other philosophers; and (4) the Glorifying of 
Law. 

The Stanza d'Elidoro has a number of Old Testament 
scenes on the ceiling by Raphael, unfortunately badly damaged. 
Just beneath the ceiling fresco of Moses and the Burning Bush 
is, (i) Miraculous Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple 
(2 Maccabees III). Below the Sacrifice of Isaac is (2) the 
Mass of Bolsena, in which an unbelieving priest is convinced 
of the truth of the doctrine of transubstantiation. Under God 
appearing to Noah is (3) Attila repulsed from Rome by Leo /., 
and below Jacob's Vision is (4) The Liberation of St, Peter, 

In the Sal A di Constantino are (i) the Battle of Con- 
stantine, by Romano ; (2) Baptism of Constantine, by Penni ; 
(3) Rome presented by Constantine to Sylvester /., and (4) 
Constantine' s Address to his Soldiers. The ceiling represents 
the Triumph of Christianity over Paganism. 

RaphaeVs Logge is made up of thirteen sections, or 
arcades, each containing four Biblical scenes designed by 
Raphael and finished by his pupils. The ceiling paintings 
are by Romano, Penni, Caravaggio and others. This is often 
called Raphael's Bible, and the effect is that of exquisite 
beauty, although unfortunately the work has been damaged by 
exposure to the weather. The most famous stucco paintings 
are those in the first arcade, where Raphael is represented as 
drawing, his pupils working upon his designs, and Fame 
celebrating the work. 

The Vatican Picture Gallery (entrance fee two lire) is not 
large, but of high merit, and there are several masterpieces of 
the first rank. The pictures are not numbered, but happily 
the names of the artists and names of subjects are upon the 
pictures. Those worthy of special study in Room I are 
Raphael's Faith, Hope and Charity ; Raphael's Madonna^ 
Annunciation, Adoration of the Magi and Presentation in the 
Tempky Murillo's Marriage of St. Catherine and Perugino's 
Three Saints. 

Conspicuous in Room II are Raphael's Transfiguration^ 



342 irALT 

his Madonna of Foligno ; and the Communion of St. Jerome, 
by Domenichino. Room III (closed Mondays) contains 
Titian's Madonna; the Coronation of the Virgin^ by Pin- 
turicchio ; the Resurrection, by Perugino ; the Coronation of 
the Virgin, by Raphael; the Nativity, by Spagna; the En- 
tombment, by Caravaggio, and Titian's Doge Andrea Gritti, 

The Tapestries of Raphael in the Galleria degli Arazzi 
(open Wednesdays, ten to three), although somewhat faded, 
are extremely fine. They represent scenes from the New 
Testament. 

The Vatican Sculpture Galleries.— After passing en- 
tirely around St. Peter's, entrance is at the northwest corner of 
Palace. The Vatican Collection of Antiquities (open ten to 
three, Saturdays ten to one, admission two lire), is without a rival. 

In Sala I. OF THE Greek Cross (a Croce Greca), the con- 
spicuous feature is the Venus copied from Praxiteles (574), and 
the porphyry Sarcophagi of the daughter and mother of Con- 
stantifte (566 and 569). The Sala II of the Chariot (della 
Biga), contains the Biga (623), a two-horse marble chariot ; 
the Bearded Bacchus (608) ; the Attic Discobolus (615) ; and 
the Discobolus of Myron (618). 

The Candelabri Gallery (open Wednesday ten to three) is 
300 feet long and is filled with small pieces of sculpture. The 
prominent ones are Ganymede carried off by the Eagle (i iSa) ; 
the Patron Goddess of Antioch (184) ; the Greek Girl 
Racing (222) ; and the Statue of a fighting Persian (269c). 

The Sala Rotunda contains the Barberini Juno (546) and 
the celebrated Bust of Zeus ; the Bust of Hadrian (543) 
found in his Tomb ; the Mastai Hercules (544) ; the fine Bust 
of Antinous (545); the Statue of Nerva (548); and in the 
centre a wonderful porphyry basin set in a Mosaic Pavement. 

The Sala della Muse contains the Bust of Pericles (525) ; 
Thalia (503) ; Polyhymnia (508) and a series oi Muses, 

The Gallery of Statues contains Thanatos, god of Death 
(250); the Apollo Sauroctonus, lying in wait of a lizard 
(264); the Amazon (265); the statues of Posidippus and 



ROME 343 

Meander in Pentelic marble (271 and 390); the Sleeping 
Ariadne (414); and the magnificent Barberini Candelabra 
(412, 413), the largest in the world. 

The Hall of the Busts has the fine Bust of the Youthful 
Augustus (273); and the Tomb-relief of a Roman Senator 
and his Wife (388). 

Passing into the Court of the Belvidere (X), in the first 
corner Cabinet is the celebrated Group of the Laocoon, a 
work, according to Pliny, of three Rhodian sculptors. It was 
discovered 1506 near the Palace of Titus. In the second 
corner Cabinet is the no less famous Apollo Belvidere (92). 
The fourth Cabinet contains the famous Mercury (53). 

Passing through the Vestibule of the Belvidere (XI) from a 
balcony we can see Bramante's Famous Spiral Staircase. 

In the Museo Chiaramonti in Section VIII is the cele- 
brated headless Daughter of Niobe (176), and in Section XX 
a colossal figure of Tiberius (494). 

The Vatican Library contains 34,000 valuable manuscripts 
and a large collection of books, besides a Museum of Christian 
antiquities and some fine Antique Paintings. 

The National Museum, near the Railway Station, has a 
complete collection of statues, bas reliefs, etc., found during 
the last forty years, including the Birth of Venus y the Venus 
of Cyreney etc. 

The Villa Farnesina (open Monday, Wednesday and 
Friday; fee, two lire) is a small but attractive Renaissance 
structure with famous frescoes by Peruzzi and Raphael. In 
the larger apartment on the ground-floor are decorations de- 
signed by Raphael, executed by Romano and Penni. Here 
are the twelve illustrations of the Myth of Psyche, one of 
the greatest of Raphael's works. In the smaller apartment is 
Raphael's Galatea carried on a shell and surrounded with 
Nymphs and Cupids. 

In the fine Polazzo Corsini, (open from ten to four ; fee 
two lire) just opposite, is the Galleria Nazionale containing 



344 ITALY 

several works of interest, including (Room III) Murillo's 
Madonna (191); Room IV, Battoni's Nativity (731) and 
Carlo Dolce's Madonna and Child (732) ; and in Room VII 
the Last Judgmejit (732) by Fra Angelico. 

The Villa Borghese (Open 10 to 4. Summer 12 to 6, 

fee two lire.) Near the Porta del Popolo is the famous Villa 
Borghese, surrounded by a lovely Park, which is a favourite 
drive and promenade. The beautiful grounds, the sumptuous 
palace and the magnificent collection, together form one of the 
greatest attractions in Rome. 

The Casino or Gallery of Statues, has some excellent works 
by Canova and Bernini. In the centre of Room I. is Canova's 
Pauline Borghese^ sister of Napoleon I., regarded by its author 
as his best work. In Room II is David with his Sling ex- 
ecuted in Bernini's eighteenth year. In Room III is Bernini's 
Daphne changed into a LaureL In Room VI is jSneas car- 
ryifig off Anchises, executed by Bernini in his fifteenth year. 

The Borghese Picture Gallery is of the first class, and 
contains some priceless art gems. 

In Room I. is Sodoma's Holy Family (459). In Room IV 
is Raphael's celebrated Entombment (369). In the rear Gal- 
lery is St, Stephen (65) by Francia, and Domenichino's Diana 
and her Nymphs (35). The crown of the Collection is the 
famous Sacred and Prof ane Love (147) by Titian. 

The Via Appia. — A drive through the Appian Way makes 
a most attractive trip among the environs of Rome. Here is 
the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, named after a tradition that 
it was here that St. Peter fleeing from martyrdom accosted his 
Master with these words. Here are also the Catacombs of 
St. Calixtus, (open all day ; fee two lire), the most remark- 
able of the early Christian burying-grounds. There are forty- 
three others in the city. Their extent is enormous, for if they 
were stretched out in a continuous gallery, it would be 600 
miles long, — the whole extent of Italy. These galleries are 
from two to four feet wide, pierced on both sides with niches, 
each of which once contained one or more bodies. These were 



ROME 345 

the ancient Christian cemeteries at Rome and were in use up 
to the year 410 when the city was captured by Aleric. The 
various sections once belonged to private families, many of the 
names of the individual owners still remaining. 

This custom of burial probably arose from Christ having lain 
in **a new tomb hewn out of a rock." Many symbols are 
found such as an anchor (Heb. 6 : 19), a dove (Ps. 55 : 6), a 
sheep (John 10 : 14), a vine (Ps. 80 : 8), and a palm branch 
(Rev. 7 : 9). The figure of Christ as the Good Shepherd is a 
favourite subject. 

Returning by a detour, a stop can be made at the Church 
of St. Paul Outside the Gates (fuori le Mura), the hand- 
somest of the modern churches of Rome. It was conse- 
crated in 1854. The large dimensions and costly materials 
give the interior a most imposing effect. The alabaster 
columns at the entrance were presented by the Viceroy of 
Egypt, and the malachite pedestals by Emperor Nicholas I. 
of Russia. It has some fine mosaics from the fifth and thir- 
teenth centuries, freely restored, and Mosaic portraits of all the 
Popes. 

Picture Galleries, contents of which cannot here be given 
in detail, are as follows : 

I. Barberini — Palazzo Barberini, 13 Via Quattro Fontane. 
Every day except Sunday. 1 lira. 

II. Palazzo Colonna — 17 Via della Pilotta. Tuesday, 
Thursday and Saturday from 10 to 3. i lira. 

III. Farnese — Palazzo Farnese. Permits to be had at 
French Embassy. 

IV. National Gallery of Antique Art — Palazzo Venezia. 
Daily 10-4. 2 lire. Sunday lo-i, free. 

V. Rospigliosi Casino — 43 Via del Quirinale. Wednes- 
day and Saturday 9 to 3. Free. 

VI. St, Luke: Academy — 44 Via Bonella 9 a. m. till i 
p. M. I lira. 

The eight Fountains that are conspicuous landmarks in 
Rome are : dell* Acqua Paola, delle Tartarughe, di Trevi, di 



346 ITALT 

Piazza Navona, di Termini, del Quirinale, del Tritone and di 
S. Pietro. 

Among Museums not already referred to there are : 

Aniiquarmm — Archaeological Magazine. Via S. Gregorio. 
Daily 9 a. m. to 5 P. m. 50 centesimi. 

Astro?io7nical — Via del Collegio Romano. Only on week 
days and with the permit of the Director. 

Plastics — 94 Via Marmorata al Testaccio, Wednesday and 
Friday from November 16 to March 15, from 2 p. m. to 5. 
From March 16 to November 15, from 3 p. m. till 5. Free on 
Sundays from 9 a. m. till noon. 

National of Villa Giulia — Villa di Giulio III. outside Porta 
del Popolo. Hours and entrance same as Borghese. 

Prehistoric and Ethnographic — Formerly Kircheriano. Same 
hours and entrance as National Museum of the Terme. 

PRACTICAL HINTS 

Hotels : Excelsior, Majestic, Palace, Quirinal, Bristol, 
Russie, Continental, etc. Rates 60 lire and up. 

Taxi-cabs. Rates fixed. Special bargain should be made 
by the hour. 

Tramways (electric). Fare 40 centimes (at present ex- 
change 2 or 3 cents). 

Purchases. All Art Goods, Mosaic Ornaments, Jewelry, 
Gloves, Large Carbon Photographs, Silk Shawls and Blankets. 

ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CHURCHES 
IN ROME 

Holy Trinity (Church of England), Via Romagna ; All 
Saints (Church of England High Ritualistic) Via Babuino ; 
American Episcopal Church, Via Nazionale ; American Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, Via Frenze ; Scotch Presbyterian 
Church, Via Venti Settembre ; Free Christian Church, 42 Via 
Panico. Hours of services usually 1 1 a. m. and 3 or 4 p. m. 



FRANCE 



Statistical Information 

President is Alexandre Millerand, born 1859 ; 

ELECTED 1920. He receives £48,000 SALARY AND 
EQUAL AMOUNT FOR HIS EXPENSES. He IS ELECTED BY 

majority of votes of the senate and chamber of 
Deputies. Executive power is administered by the 
President and eleven Ministers, of whom M. Ray- 
mond Poincaire is Prime Minister. 

Senate has 314 members, elected for nine years; 

ONE-THIRD retiring EVERY THREE YEARS. 

The Chamber has 610 Deputies, elected for four 
YEARS. All receive 27,000 francs yearly. 

Area, 212,659 square miles. Population (1921), 
39,209,766. Revenue (1920), 21,770,243,131 francs. 
Expenditures, 29,882,700,000. Imports, 49,904,800,000 
FRANCS. Exports, 21,553,100,000. 

Active Army (1921), 390,000, including colonies, 
736,000. Navy personnel about 25,000 men. Mer- 
cantile Navy tonnage, 3,101,199. In 1920, 31,762 
ships of 28,790,000 tonnage entered. There are 
(1920) 26,250 miles of railway and 120,471 miles of 
telegraph lines. 

In 1920 THERE WERE 68,Ol5 SCHOOLS OF PRIMARY IN- 
STRUCTION WITH 3,835,816 PUPILS AND ABOUT 145,000 
PUPILS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. ThERE ARE 1 6 UNI- 
VERSITIES IN France, with a total of 49,931 students, 
THE ONE IN Paris having 11,026 students. 

No RELIGION IS RECOGNIZED BY THE StATE. SiNCE 

Dec. 9, 1905, Church and State separated, although 
clergy of twenty-five years or more service still re- 
CEIVE A PENSION. There are 51,000 clergy. Monastic 

ESTABLISHMENTS HAVE 30,136 MEN AND 129,492 WOMEN. 

MONACO: — Prince Albert died in August, 1922, 

AND was succeeded BY PrINCE LoUIS, BORN JULY 12, 

1870. 

Area, 8 square miles. Population (1913), 22,956. 
Revenue is mainly derived from the gaming tables. 
Concession costs £80,000 annually. In 1927 it will 
be £90,000 AND in 1937 £100,000. 

347 



BIBLIOGRAPHT 

" France and Ourselves/' H. A. Gibbons. Century, 
1920. 

" Facts About France/' Saillens. Stokes, 1919. 

" The France I Know/' W. Stephens. Button, 1919. 

'* American Guide Book to France and Its Battle- 
fields/' E. B. Garey. Macmillan. 

'' Spell of the Heart of France/' A. Hallays. 
Page, 1920. 

*' Martyred Towns of France/' C. E. Laughlin. 
Putnam, 1919. 

'' Cathedral Cities of France/' H. M. Marshall. 
Dodd, 1919. 

*' Rising Above the Ruins in France/' C. H. Smith. 
Putnam, 1920. 

'' History of France," V. Duruy. Crowell, 1920. 

" Romance of the Battle Line in France/' J. E. 
Bodley. Button, 1920. 

'* How France is Governed/' R. Poincare. McBride^ 
1919. 

" French Ways and Their Meaning/' E. N. Whar- 
ton. Appleton, 1 91 9. 

"Along French Byways/' C. Johnson. Macmillan, 
1912. 

" The Spell of France/' C. E. Mason. Page, 1912. 

" France Herself Again/' E. Dimnet. Putnam, 1914. 

"Twentieth Century France/' M. B. Betham-Ed- 
wards. Button, 1917. 

"Ideal Motor Tour in France/' W. Hale. Dodd, 
1914. 

THE RIVIERA 

" Common Objects of the Riviera/' I. Chamberlain. 
Button, 1913. 

'* Rambles about the Riviera/' F. M. Gostling. 
Pott, 1914. 

" An Artist in the Riviera/' Hearst, 1914. 

" Monaco and Monte Carlo/' A. Smith. Lippincott, 
1912. 

'' Monte Carlo," M. Halpoole. Dodd. 

'' Romance of Nice," J. D. E. Loveland. Stokes, 1912. 

" Riviera Towns/' H. A. Gibbons. McBride, 1920. 

'' Sins and Splendors of Monte Carlo/' Regan Pub. 

'' Riviera of the Corniche Road/' F. Treves Funk. 

348 



THE RIVIERA 

THE ship comes to anchor in the superb Villefranche 
Bay, which can accommodate the largest vessels. 
Villefranche itself is an insignificant town, con- 
taining about 4,000 people. It is the drive from Villefranche 
to Monte Carlo which makes this part of the Riviera so 
remarkable. The drives usually include the Upper Corniche 
Road (fifteen miles) returning by the Lower Corniche Road 
(seven miles). These drives give the most varied and beauti- 
ful views of the Mediterranean. As the carriage winds among 
the mountains at a height of 1,200 feet, the marvellous vegeta- 
tion and abundant wild flowers, the ancient castles and ruins 
and the modern villas and picturesque white villages, together 
with the splendid views of the Sea, — -altogether serve to make 
a setting that has few equals. It is no wonder that the Cor- 
niche roads are described as '^the most beautiful drives in 
Europe." 

NICE 

Nice lies two miles beyond Villefranche, and is a city of 
90,000 inhabitants. The river Paillon flowing through the 
town, crossed by three bridges, is hardly an ornament, being 
nearly dry in summer, and a muddy torrent after heavy rains. 
Nice has an attractive location with a surrounding amphitheatre 
of hills, which are charmingly diversified with villas, vineyards 
and gardens. In the middle of the valley in which Nice is 
situated rises a picturesque precipitous rock, with the ruins of 
an old castle on its summit. 

Nice has some handsome squares notably the Jardin Public, 
adorned with handsome palms, where daily concerts are held. 
The Place Massena near the Casino is the centre of business. 

349 



350 FRANCE 

The Promenade des Anglais follows the western shore of the 
Mediterranean, and is lined with handsome villas. The Boule- 
vards DU Midi, McMahon and Risso are also very attractive. 

The Observatory is one of the finest in Europe. The 
Casino is a handsome place with reading and concert rooms 
and an attractive winter garden. The Municipal Museum 
contains some collections of interest. The Castle Hill has 
the ruins of a famous castle, destroyed two centuries ago by the 
Duke of Berwick, who was one of the foremost generals in the 
army of Louis XIV. Nice also has monuments to Marshal 
Massena, and to Garibaldi, both of whom were born here. 

Among the Churches are the Gothic Church of Notre Dame, 
a Church of England edifice, a Scotch Church, and an Amer- 
ican (Episcopal). 

Other places of interest are the Municipal Opera House, 
the Flower Market (mornings), the Musee des Beaux- 
Arts, and the Palais de Glace. 

Nice is the pleasure resort par excellenccy not only of the 
Riviera, but of the Mediterranean. The Cimies Hill and 
Mont Chauve, which shelter Nice from the north, afford 
beautiful sites for hotels and villas, and are a favourite resort 
for invalids and pleasure-seekers. Nice has also a marked so- 
ciety aspect, the residents sparing no pains in entertaining dis- 
tinguished visitors. During the spring months there is a large 
colony of British and American residents. Clubs, theatre 
parties, receptions, and horse-racing are all carried on under 
distinguished auspices. 

MONTE CARLO 

This lies twelve miles beyond Nice, and exceeds all other 
points on the Riviera in beautiful scenery. Indeed, there are 
many persons who are attracted there who habitually avoid the 
Casino, and seek only the unusual opportunities afforded for 
health and scenery. 

The Casino is a showy structure, decorated with statues and 
paintings, and with its grounds well supplied with a remarkable 



THE RIVIERA 351 

selection of trees and shrubs, all the varieties of the palm fam- 
ily being represented. In addition to the beauty of the place 
and its surroundings, and the fine music which is a striking 
feature, the brilliant throngs which are wont to gather here 
from all parts of the world add to the fascination of the place. 

There is much talk of suppressing the gambling tables, and 
there is a growing sentiment against their continuance. The 
present company leases the Casino from the Prince of Monaco, 
who rules over the smallest monarchy in the world at Monaco 
— a mile from Monte Carlo. It has been asserted that pressure 
is being brought upon the Prince by the governments of France 
and Italy, to compel him to close the establishment. The re- 
sort would not suffer if this notorious feature were abolished. 

Everything is free to visitors, including the Reading Room 
(well supplied with European and American papers), and the 
Concert Hall, in which one of the finest orchestras in Europe, 
consisting of eighty pieces, gives daily performances. 

The NouvEAUX Thermus (Baths) were established in 1907 
and have every modern scientific equipment. The Verlioz 
Monument (the first presentation of the Damnation of Faust 
was given in Monaco), The Pigeon Shooting Ground (De- 
cember to March ; first prize 20,000 francs). The Palace of 
Fine Arts (where exhibitions of paintings and sculptures are 
given from January to April and where international sword 
tournaments are held), and The Theatre (which is a master- 
piece of construction and ornamentation), have all more than 
superficial attractions. 

MONACO 

As ships often come into the harbour of Monaco, which is 
enclosed by two breakwaters, and land in the town of Monaco, 
which is the approach to Monte Carlo, it is well to have a 
glimpse of the town of Monaco itself. 

The Place du Palais occupies the whole width of the table- 
land and on the crest of the ramparts a fine view can be had of 
all the adjacent region. The Palace extends along the east 



352 FRANCE 

side of the square. It was first constructed in 1215, but since 
that time has been greatly improved. If the Prince is absent 
(the present Prince is Prince Louis, who succeeded his father 
in August, 1922), the Palace may be visited from 2 to 5 p. m. 
The Cathedral was built in 1874 and has attractive interior 
decorations. The Oceanographic Museum has an Aquarium 
and an exhibition of the apparatus used in capturing deep sea 
life. 

The Condamine is the second town in the approach to 
Monte Carlo, and is of rather recent development. 



INDEX 



Abydos, 289 
Alexandria, 259 

Lake Mareotis, 261 

Museum, 261 

Phare, 260 

Place Mehemet Ali, 261 

Pompey's Pillar, 261 

Ramleh, 262 
Algiers, 77 

Arab Algiers, 80 

Dances of the Aissaoui, 87 

French Algiers, 80 

History, 77 

Kasba, 84 

Mosques, 85 

Mustapha Superieur, 87 

People, 82 

Piracy, 81 

Practical Hints, 88 

Public Library, 84 

Religion, 87 
Alhambra, 49 

Alcazaba, 51 

Alhambra Park, 52 

Cathedral, 56 

Court of Lions, 54 

Court of Myrtles, 54 

Gallery of Ambassadors, 54 

Gate of Judgment, 52 

Hall of Abencerrages, 55 

Hall of Justice, 55 

History, 49 

Plaza de los Aljibez, 53 

Puerta de las Granadas, 52 

Room of Two Sisters, 56 

Vermilion Towers, 52 
Apostles' Spring, 236 
Assiout, 288 
Athens, iii 

Acropolis, 113 

Acropolis Museum, 123 

Areopagus, 113 

Athena Nike, 120 

Athena Promachus, I20 

Education, 128 

Erectheum, 121 

Hill of Pynx, 1 14 

History, 117 

Modern Athens, 125 

National Museum, 126 



Parthenon, 122 

People, 128 

Pir3eus, 112 

Practical Hints, 130 

Propylaea, 119 

Religion, 128 

Salamis, ill 

Stadion, 115 

Temple of Zeus Olympius, 116 

Theatre of Dionysius, 125 

Baalbek, 175 

Enclosing Wall, 177 

Great Temple, 176 

Temple of the Sun, 177 
Balata, 193 
Beni-Suef, 287 
Benjamin, 197 
Bethany, 235 
Bethel, 196 
Bethlehem, 229 

Church of the Nativity, 231 

Field of the Shepherds, 232 
Bethsaida, 185 
Bethshan, 188 
Beyrout, 167 

American Mission, 169 

Churches, 168 

Commerce, 167 

History, 167 
Bireh, 197 
Biskra, 9 1 
Brook Cherith, 23^ 

Cadiz, 31 

Description, 31 

History, 33 

People, 32 

Practical Hints, 36 

Sights, 35 
Caifa, 178 
Cairo, 262 

Citadel, 263 

Egyptian Museum, 26J 

Island of Roda, 266 

Mosques, 263 

Royal Mummies, 271 

Tombs of Caliphs, 266 

University, 265 
Cana, 181 
Capernaum, 186 



353 



M 



354 



INDEX 



Capri, 320 
Carthage, 95 
Chorazin, 185 
Constantinople, 132 

American School for Girls, 152 

Bazaars, 148 

Cisterns, 148 

Dogs, 149 

Dolma Baghtcheh, 141 

Galata Tower, 140 

Hippodrome, 143 

History, 133 

Imperial Museum, 147 

Mosques, 145 

Old Walls, 148 

Political, 149 

Practical Hints, 154 

Religion, 152 

Robert College, 151 

Sancta Sophia, 141 

Seraglio Grounds, 146 

Treasury, 146 

Damascus, 171 

Description, 17 1 

Government, 172 

Interesting Sights, 1 72 

Religion, 175 
Dead Sea, 240 
Denderah, 290 
Dothan, 189 

Egypt, 243 

American Mission, 283 

Antiquity, 247 

Architecture, 252 

Art, 252 

Astronomy, 254 

Bibliography, 244 

English Possession, 280 

Geometry, 254 

Government, 258 

Irrigation, 259 

Literature, 254 

Monuments, 256 

Nile, 245 

Practical Hints, 285 

Religions, 281 

Statistical Information, 243 
"^lisha's Fountain, 237 
Endor, 188 
Ephesus, 161 

History, 161 



Ruins, 162 

Temple of Diana, 163 

Theatre, 162 

Fountain of Jezreel, 188 
France, 347 

Statistical Information, 347 

Bibliography, 348 
Funchal, 16 

Galilee, 178 
Gibraltar, 57 

Administration, 60 

Fortress, 59 

History, 58 

Interesting Sights, 62 

Linea, 65 

Neutral Ground, 62 

People, 64 

Practical Hints, 66 

Religion, 65 
Gilgal, 239 ^ 
Good Samaritan Inn, 236 
Gorge of Chabet, 90 
Granada, 49 
Greece, 109 

Bibliography, 1 10 

Statistical Information, 109 

Harosheth, 179 
Hebron, 234 
Heliopolis, 273 
Horns of Hattin, 18 1 
Howling Dervishes, 174 

Italy, 299 

Bibliography, 300 
Statistical Information, 299 

Jaffa, 200 

House of Simon the Tanner, 200 

Tomb of Dorcas, 200 
Jenin, 189 
Jericho, 237 
Jerusalem, 199 

Church of the Redeemer, 223 

City Divisions, 206 

Damascus Gate, 212 

Garden Tomb, 219 

Gethsemane, 220 

Golden Gate, 211 

Hinnom Valley, 207 

Holy Sepulchre, 215 

Jaffa Gate, 211 



INDEX 



355 



Kedron Valley, 207 

Mt. of Evil Counsel, 209 

Mt. of Offense, 209 

Mt. of Olives, 208 

Mt. Scopus, 210 

Mosque el Aksa, 213 

Mosque of Omar, 214 

New Calvary, 217 

Palestine Exploration Fund, 224 

People, 225 

Pool of Bethesda, 224 

Pool of Hezekiah, 223 

Pool of Siloam, 222 

Practical Hints, 227 

Religion, 226 

Solomon's Quarry, 223 

Stables of Solomon, 213 

Temple Area, 212 

Tombs of the Kings, 224 

Tower of David, 222 

Tyropean Valley, 207 

Via Dolorosa, 222 

Wall of Wailing, 221 
Jezreel, 188 
Jordan, 239 

Karnak, 295 
Kishon, 179 
Knights of Malta, 157 

Lake of Galilee, 181 
Luxor, 294 
Lydda, 203 

Madeira, 15 

Climate, 19 

Description, 15 

History, 17 

Objects of Interest, 25 

People, 21 

Political, 19 

Practical Hints, 28 

Production, 24 
Magdala, 185 
Malta, 97 

Armory Hall, 104 

Bibliography, 98 

Church of St. John, 103 

Citta Vecchia, 105 

Description, 102 

History, 99 

Knights, 99 

Paul, 104 



People, 106 

Practical Hints, 108 

Religion, 107 

Statistical Information, 97 

Valetta, 103 
Mediterranean Bibliography, 12 
Memphis, 274 
Mizpeh, 198 
Monte Carlo, 350 
Morocco, 71 
Mt. Carmel, 178 
Mt. Ebal, 191 
Mt. Gerezim, 191 
Mt. Hermon, 182 
Mt. Scopus, 199 
Mt. Vesuvius, 319 
Mukhna, 194 

Nablus, 190 
Nain, 188 
Naples, 301 

Churches, 304 

Description, 301 

Knights of Sant' Elmo, 305 

Museum, 306 

People, 302 

Practical Hints, 311 

University, 305 

Villa Nazionale, 304 

Zoological Station, 303 
Nazareth, 179 
Nice, 349 
North Africa, 69 

Bibliography, 70 

Statistical Information, 69 

Plain of Esdraelon, 179 
Polycarp, 157 
Pompeii, 312 

Amphitheatre, 319 

Forum, 315 

Great Theatre, 318 

House of the Faun, 318 

House of Pansa, 317 

House of Tragic Poet, 316 

Museum, 315 

Practical Hints, 319 

Temple of Isis, 318 
Porto Santo, 15 
Portugal, 13 

Bibliography, 14 

Statistical Information, 13 
Pyramids, 276 



356 



INDEX 



QUARANTANIA, 237 

Ramleh, 203 

Riviera, 349 

Robber's Fountain, 195 

Rome, 321 

Arch of Titus, 329 

Basilica ot Constantine, 329 

Baths of Caracalla, 331 

Capitoline Hill, 324 

Capitoline Museum, 324 

Castle of St. Angelo, 333 

Colosseum, 329 

Corso, 323 

Doria Palace, 323 

Drive about Rome, 322 

Forum Romanum, 327 

Forum of Trajan, 330 

Mamertine Prison, 330 

Monument of Victor Emanuel II, 

327 
Palace of the Conservatori, 326 
Palatine Hill, 331 
Pantheon, 323 
Piazza del Popolo, 322 
Pincio Palace, 323 
Practical Hints, 345 
St. Peter's, 334 
Square of the Lateran, 332 
Triumphal Arch of Constantine, 

330 

Vatican, 339 
Via Appia, 344 
Villa Borghese, 344 
Villa Farnesina, 343 

Salim, 194 
Samaria, 187 

City of, 189 
Samaritans, 192 
Setif, 90 
Seville, 37 

Alcazar, 45 

Biblioteca Columbina, 44 

Bull-Fights, 40 

Cathedral, 40 

Church La Caridad, 47 

Description, 38 

Giraldo, 44 

History, 39 

Lottery, 40 

Museo Provincial, 46 



People, 39 

Patio de los Naranjos, 44 

Sagrario, 43 
Sharon, Plain of, 203 
Shechem, 190 
Shiloh, 195 
Shunem, 187 
Sidi Okba, Tomb of, 92 
Sinjil, 195 
Smyrna, 156 

Commerce, 157 

History, 156 

Practical Hints, 161 

Religion, 160 

Scenes of Interest, 158 
Solomon's Pools, 233 
Sorrento, 320 
Spain, 29 

Bibliography, 30 

Statistical Information, 29 
Sphinx, 278 

Tangier, 7 1 

Bazaars, 74 

Kasba, 73 

Market Place, 73 

Mosques, 74 

Practical Hints, 76 

Prison, 73 

Religion, 76 

Spartel Light House, 75 
Thebes, 290 

Colossi, 294 

Ramesseum, 292 

Statue of Ramses II, 293 

Temple of Der el-Bahri, 291 

Temple of Der el-Medineh, 293 

Temple of Medinet Habu, 293 

Temple of Seti I., 290 

Tombs of the Kings, 290 
Tiberius, 183 
Tripoli, 96 
Tunis, 93 
Turkey, 131 

Bibliography, 132 

Statistical Information, 131 
Turmus Aya, 195 

Wadies, 185 
Well of Jacob, I92 

Zerin, 188 



PAGES FOR PERSONAL JOTTINGS 



The traveller will find these blank pages very convenient for 
adding personal experiences and incidents, notes of shipboard 
lectures, memoranda concerning prominent persons, desirable 
shops, hotels, etc., as well as additional information of a general 
character. Such notes will add greatly to the permanent value 
of the book to its owner. Having a guide-book and note- 
book under one cover will also serve as a great convenience to 
travellers. 

Those who may not plan such a trip to the Mediterranean, 
but who are interested in the study of the countries herein de- 
scribed, will find these blank pages desirable for additional 
notes suggested by general reading. 



357 



